Trombone and trumpet player, singer songwriter, producer, actor and philanthropist Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews was born in New Orleans on January 2, 1986. Andrews grew up in Tremé and comes from an exceptional New Orleans musical family, including his grandfather, singer songwriter Jessie Hill, older brother, trumpeter and bandleader James Andrews, and cousins, trombonist Glen David Andrews and the late Travis “Trumpet Black” Hill. He appeared onstage with Bo Diddley at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at age 4, was a bandleader by age 6, and was a member of the Stooges Brass Band in his teens. He attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) with fellow New Orleans musician Jon Batiste. In 2005, Andrews toured with Lenny Kravitz as a featured member of the horn section, and since 2009 he has toured with his own band, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. Notably, in 2010, Andrews released the album Backatown, which was No. 1 on Billboard magazine's Contemporary Jazz Chart for nine consecutive weeks and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Andrews added “actor” to his resumé in 2010, and in 2013, when he appeared in seven episodes of HBO’s Treme series. In 2011, he released For True, in 2013 Say That to Say This, and in 2017 Parking Lot Symphony. In 2018, Andrews received a Blues Foundation Award in the Blues Instrumentalist, Horn Category.
Andrews has performed with a Who’s Who of musical talent, including The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, U2, Green Day, Rebirth Brass Band, Maceo Parker, Jeff Beck, Dave Matthews Band, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gary Clark Jr., Janelle Monáe, Madonna, Queen Latifah, and many, many more. Since 2014, he has built a friendship with Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters that has seen them sit in on each other’s performances throughout the years. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue’s annual Tremé Threauxdown (New Orleans) and Voodoo Threauxdown (worldwide) tours bring his amazing music to fans every year.
Andrews collaborated with former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to form the Horns For Schools Project, which ultimately evolved into the Trombone Shorty Foundation, which works "to preserve and perpetuate the unique musical culture of New Orleans by passing down its traditions to future generations of musicians." In 2012, the Foundation, in partnership with Tulane University, created an After School Academy in New Orleans to mentor aspiring, high school musicians. In 2016, Andrews received the Heinz Award in Arts and Humanities for “his achievements as a musician and for his community work to preserve and pass on to youger generations the rich musical heritage of his native New Orleans”. Happy birthday to one of the Big Easy’s most talented, charismatic and altruistic musical performers.
