Biography

Andy Schwartz was born in Manhattan (8/17/51)and raised in the New York suburbs. At age 14, in a high school gym, he attended his first "rock concert" starring doo-wop masters Eugene Pitt & the Jive Five and a local Stones clone band called the Jagged Edge. He began writing about pop music circa 1972 as an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota. Shortly after returning to New York in 1977, Andy took over as publisher and editor of New York Rocker, the punk/new wave magazine founded by the late Alan Betrock (1950-2000). Under Schwartz's direction, NY Rocker published 44 issues through the end of 1982 and became the most widely-read and influential US publication of its kind. After several years as a freelance writer, publicist and artist manager, in 1989 Andy was named Director of Editorial Services for Epic Records (a division of Sony Music) and held this position until 2000. Andy also edited the program booklet of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, and later served as a research consultant to the Rock Hall's Library & Archive project. A contributor to several books and national publications, Andy Schwartz is available for all manner of writing, editing, and research projects, not limited to popular music.