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Draft:Andy Bigan

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Andy Bigan is an American multi-instrumentalist, working primarily as a drummer and percussionist from New York City, credited on dozens of commercial releases.[1] [2] [3] He is best known as the drummer and musical director for Snow through the success of his 1992 single "Informer," which spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[4] His other notable work includes collaborations with the late Alan Merrill, rockabilly artist Robert Gordon, and blues guitarist Stevie Cochran.[5] Bigan was the drummer for New York City band, The Suits, which featured actress Kathleen Turner and her then-husband, Jay Weiss. The Suits commercially released one album entitled "Ties That Bind" in 1995.[6] He's also credited for his production work on the 1999 season of Good Morning America.

Bigan was one of the original partners behind the highly anticipated grand re-opening of the historic Neir's Tavern and revitalized the famous bar with his wife, Melanie Bigan, and partners Alex Ewen and David Eng.[7][8] The tavern, located in Queens, NY, had been a filming location of Goodfellas and once hosted performances by Mae West.[9] In 2022, he filed a lawsuit against new co-owner Loycent Gordon for refusing to open the books or share information with fellow shareholders and eventually settled.[10]

Early Life

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Andrew Emil Bigan Jr was born in Anniston, Alabama, the eldest son of Mina Bigan and Andrew Bigan Sr, a retired US Army Captain who had been awarded a Purple Heart for his efforts in Korea. When Bigan was young, his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland where he spent his formative years.[11] Around 1970, Bigan started a band with his high school friends.

The Crossblood Experiment began rehearsing in Bigan's parents basement near Edgewood Arsenal outside of Baltimore. The band recorded a single, "Orange Sunshine," which would be pressed on vinyl by Bigan's parents, with the name of the band misprinted as "The Cross Bloods." The rare vinyl copies of this single would eventually become a collectible record for 1970's psych-rock collectors, with the cost of the record skyrocketing in recent years. The song was commercially released by The Numero Group on a psychedelic compilation album in 2017.[12]

In 1978, Bigan would later join touring rock band, Trūc of America.

References

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  1. ^ "Person to Person - Ben E. King | Album | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  2. ^ "The Truth: Heard Live at the Blue Note - Elvin... | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  3. ^ "Walking with the Kings: An All-Star Blues Jam ... | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  4. ^ "Snow Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  5. ^ "Andy Bigan Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  6. ^ "None". Discogs.
  7. ^ "Project Woodhaven: Mae West & Neir's Reopening Party". www.projectwoodhaven.com. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  8. ^ "181-Year-Old Tavern Set To Re-Open - Queens Gazette". Queens Gazette -. 2010-06-23. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  9. ^ Kilgannon, Corey (January 10, 2020). "After 190 Years, the 'Most Famous Bar You've Never Heard of' Avoids Last Call". New York Times.
  10. ^ "Neir's Tavern owner Loycent Gordon should be removed: lawsuit". 2022-11-19. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  11. ^ Season 3 Ep. #5 - Andy Bigan - The Cross Bloods | The Self Portrait Gospel :: Podcast. 2022-07-03. Retrieved 2024-04-06 – via shows.acast.com.
  12. ^ "Various - Warfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares | Releases | Discogs". Discogs.