Andy Parker


Diary update - September 2014
Hi all. Just a short note to let you know what has been going on recently. First off, a HUGE thank you to all of you who sent messages and good wishes to Jo and myself. It was so kind of you to think of us and it really helped us to get through a very difficult time. I am pleased to tell you that Jo is recovering very nicely from the surgery and the best news is that she will not have to undergo chemotherapy. Although she will have to go through several more surgical procedures, this is a great relief to us both.

As for things UFO, I can tell you that I recently returned from the UK where we are in the process of recording a new album with producer Chris Tsangarides. Chris worked with us on our very first Chysalis album Phenomenon back in '73 so it was great to catch up after so many years. Rob (DeLuca) and I cut fourteen backing tracks over a period of four days, and we were both very pleased with the outcome. Paul has already finished his parts while Phil and Vinnie are currently working on theirs. I don't know at this stage which of the tracks will make the final cut, but there are definitely some very strong contenders. A single available as a download is scheduled for December, and the album release is set for February 2015. No word on a title yet either, so watch this space.

Touring in support of the new record will begin in February 2015 starting in Europe, while U.K. dates are being set for April/May. Nothing booked for the USA as yet but I am sure it won't be long. We will probably talk again before the end of the year but just in case we don't I wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday season and I look forward to seeing you all very soon. Love and peace. Andy
Andy Parker17th July 2014
I want to thank those of you who sent messages and prayers to my wife Jo and myself, judging by the way she is recovering they really worked. She is home now and resting comfortably. We still have a long way to go but we are both very positive about the future. I am so grateful to you all for thinking of us, just another confirmation that UFO has the greatest fans in the world. Love to you all. Andy

16th July 2014
Hey all, Just to let you know that Jo is doing well. She was in surgery for over seven hours so understandably still very groggy when I finally got to see her. Both doctors were very happy with the outcome of the surgery and expect that she may be home tomorrow. I will be back there in the morning so I will update you when I know more. Thanks for all your support. Andy

13th July 2014
Dear all, This is about the time I should be posting a new diary update. Unfortunately, my wife Jo was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and will undergo surgery on Tuesday 15th July. As I'm sure you can imagine, my mind and time has been filled with other things, hence the absence of a new update. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and hopefully she will soon make a full and speedy recovery.
Thank you. Andy

30th April 2014
It's that time again. I'm getting emails reminding me that I need to update my diary. Well, I have been home for over two weeks now so I suppose that it is about time. This is where it gets difficult; I should tell you all about what happened on our last run of shows, but I also want to talk about what has happened since I got home. So, to make it easier I will now become two Andys!

Music-Andy will tell you about our good friend Wendi, who came all the way from California to the UK to bring us the 10th issue of the UFO comic and a whole lot of goodies which were part of a drinking game she had devised, and how, unfortunately H.M. Customs confiscated the bacon jerky, so we never got to play the game properly! Homeowner-Andy will recount the adventures in repairing the back fence of his property in order to prevent his three Aussies from getting into it with the Mastiff next door. Doesn't sound that exciting until you add the bit about the unknown bugs that chowed down on him, leaving his face looking like a pepperoni pizza...

Music-Andy wants to tell you all about the wonderful crowds in Leamington Spa and Warrington and how the new songs in the set went down so well and how he had such a great birthday in Sheffield even though he got a Happy Retirement banner by mistake, and a card which nobody signed and a Bob The Builder balloon, but Homeowner-Andy will tell you about the fact that it is Possum Season again here at Rancho Parker, and how for five nights in a row the dogs presented him with a baby possum - and not all of them were dead!

Music-Andy will tell you about Hard Rock Hell and how the catering was diabolical, the dressing room was like a squat, and how show time was delayed so long that we ended up playing on a different day - and yet the crowd stayed up with us and made it all worthwhile! Homeowner-Andy will tell you about the morning his car refused to start and after having it towed to the dealer, was informed that squirrels had eaten the wiring and... surprise surprise, it was not covered by the warranty.

Music-Andy will tell you all about how nice it was to see Emma and Tris in Southampton and how we seemed to have a never-ending journey from there to Sweden, full of traffic jams, and how we played "Boogie for George" in Gothenburg. Also he'll tell you that superfans Phil Beard and Rob Davies flew there from England and how dinner in Denmark costs about the same as a small house, and how we found the monkey in Godset on April 1st and how our dressing room there was in this awesome train carriage. Homeowner-Andy will tell you about his week spent redoing the gravel paths at the side of his house and how he ended up with sore muscles that he never knew he had, and how his wife spent that entire week in bed with a stomach virus and when she finally had the strength to get up and come outside to see what he was doing, a fire ant dropped out of a tree and stung her in the eye. Andy Parker Lastly, Music-Andy wants to say how good it was to see Peter (our manager) and Ollie from SPV in Buchholz, and how it was such a blast to have Voodoo Six opening for us and what great guys they are. This time there were no major illnesses during the tour and we are looking forward to the next shows although we're all disappointed not to be doing the Russian/Ukraine shows but we hope to reschedule these asap. Now Music-Andy and Homeowner-Andy join forces with a big thanks to all concerned - band, crew, tour manager, manager, promoters, staff, V6, the record company and of course YOU GUYS for making the whole thing a success. Oh yeh, and don't worry about my run of bad luck, it ended with me getting a bitchin' Beretta 96FS for my birthday. Sweet! I'm off to the range. All the best, until next time.
Andy
Andy Parker p.s. Just wanted you all to know that my daughter Lindsay has just published her first children's book, "Fiona Von Finnigan - Fairy Tale Fixer", which she wrote and illustrated. We are very proud of her and hope the book will do well. Here's a link to the website for the book, which is written for students in grades 3-5, but is also suitable for older and younger readers. Fiona Von Finnigan also has a Facebook page. Take a look!

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