Andy Billups

Andy Billups (born Andrew James Billups, November 7, 1953 to Joan and Harold Billups) also known as Ms Zsa Zsa Poltergeist, is the bass player for the The Hamsters.
Andy was born in Boston, Lincolnshire, England but at a young age his parents moved to Spalding, Lincolnshire where he lived until the age of 19.
Early interests
Aside from a solid interest in the guitar from the age of eight, Andy embarked on learning to play the trumpet during first year at Gleed School, continuing to do so to the point of opting for a music course at Boston College on leaving school in 1969. Within weeks of the course, his brass teacher suggested he consider switching to trombone on account of his embouchure being more suited to a larger mouthpiece. The switch was made without complication, and in 1973 he went on to study at Trinity College of Music, London specializing in the bass trombone. It was during the Trinity years that Andy first became involved with fellow Hamster members Slim and Otis, playing in Southend based band Eddie and The Blizzards circa 1973/74. The project was short lived, its members going their separate ways.
On graduation from Trinity, and with no real desire to teach or pursue a career in playing trombone, Andy promptly turned all his attention to a career in his first love, playing the guitar.
Going pro
After 'treading water' for twelve months as Music Librarian for Chappell Music, Bond Street, London, in 1977 Andy joined Whisky Mac, a club band that had just won ITV's New Faces , enjoying rare praise indeed from the show's most critical panel member, Tony Hatch. Within months, Whisky Mac's drummer was replaced by Alan Parish, who, 10 years later, joined Billups in The Hamsters using the nom-de-plume of The Rev Otis Elevator.
Fifteen months later in 1979, Billups and Parish decided to leave Whisky Mac to pursue the dreams of Academy, a band they'd started outside Whisky Mac. Academy likened themselves to bands such as Genesis and Renaissance, but the venture was ill-timed as punk was dominating the music scene, and Academy had pretty much missed the boat!
During the period 1979-1981 Billups earned a crust doing a variety of jobs including lorry driving, teaching guitar and bass (old pupils included Dave Randall, now guitarist with Faithless, Chris Taylor, guitarist with Eddie and the Hot Rods and Tim Vogt, one-time bass player with Bad Manners), session musician on both guitar and bass for many varied projects, ranging from background library music for Rediffusion (which later became AEI). He wrote and recorded over sixty titles for AEI, and has been a long-standing member of the . He is also a Professional Member of BASCA (British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors). He sessioned on numerous albums for Christian artists (one of which was alongside the late Alan Jarvis, drummer for Cliff Richard for many years) producing and playing acoustic and electric guitar on an album for Dave Bilbrough, played guitars on other albums for Graham Kendrick , Eddie Kendricks , Dave Bryant, Barry Compton, and played both guitars and bass on an album for Alan Clayton called Fate Accompli. At the end of the 80s Billups spent a year playing guitar with a barn dance band called the Bucket Band.
The Hamsters
From 1983 to 1988 Billups made a living as manager of a Southend music shop called Honky Tonk Music. It was towards the end of that period that he received a phone call from The Hamsters' singer Slim telling him that their bass player, Andy Farrell, had resigned quite suddenly after a show. Slim asked Billups if he knew of a bass player they could call. Although Andy and Slim had been friends for years, Slim didn't know that Billups played bass as well as guitar. When Slim was informed of this fact Billups got the job straight away such was the urgency.
It was decided in the early days, by all concerned, that it would be a "giggle" if they had nom-de-plumes for stage purposes. They agreed that they had to be witty and silly. The original name selected for Andy was "Blind Boy", but as it wasn't funny... and he didn't wear glasses, Billups didn't think it appropriate. Slim, being a fan of the 1960s BBC radio comedy show Round The Horne remembered a character's unusual name, thus Andy Billups became known as "Ms Zsa Zsa Poltergeist" (usually shortened to just Zsa Zsa).
Billups joined The Hamsters in January 1988, In 1993 he decided to leave the band after he was diagnosed with focal dystonia (affecting his right index finger) and felt that he couldn't play to the standard fans expected. He was replaced by Dave Bronze who had left the band to join Eric Clapton. Billups returned to the band 15 months later, in 1994, after developing a different technique using a thumb pick and re-educating his right hand . Andy has remained with the band ever since.
Solo work
Currently, in off-time between The Hamsters' schedule he is midway through writing and recording a solo project of varied material. The musical style of the new CD, titled Afton Down, is totally different from the style he is most well-known for with excursions into ambient and folk-rock along with pop and progressive rock-themed songs. As of late 2008 two tracks from the album, "Still Awake When The Lights Go Out" and "The Stranger" have received repeated airplay by DJ Tony Gilham of BBC Radio Jersey. Additionally, on 10 April, 2009 Billups was interviewed live on air with regard to the progress of the album. A 'sampler CD' recently submitted to Radio Caroline also enjoyed the 'featured album' spot on one of Barry James Friday midday shows.
Billups is also a UK endorsee of several instrument manufacturers, including Faith Guitars.
Interests
Non-musical interests include photography, working with wood, and pretty much anything to do with boats. He also has a small gallery where he displays his photography of local sites and scenes.

Twice married, Billups has four children by his first marriage, and two stepchildren with his second. He and his wife, Laura (an Holistic Therapist), reside on the South Coast of England.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu