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From Ella and Louis to the Rat Pack
Andy has been an avid movie watcher since childhood. Early on he was moved by the powerful orchestrations and film soundtracks. His first real exposure to Sinatra was when he was fifteen as a result of watching “Gremlins 2” – when, at the end, the little monsters sing “New York, New York”. That started the chain reaction of Andy’s love for the Great American Songbook. Andy was especially fascinated by the complex artful big band orchestra arrangements behind the lyrics. Nothing gives him greater joy than those occasions where he gets to belt out a music theatre show with the full big band orchestra behind him.
He once heard a famous singer say: “if you wanna learn how to sing, listen to Frank Sinatra”.
School’s out!
Unlike most singers, Andy did not start singing until he was a teenager. He was home alone singing while cleaning the house one day when he noticed how nice he actually sounded in the bathroom. Then, whilst in Plymouth, England for university, he took his singing to the streets; literally. He was singing while walking home one night when some girls on a balcony above asked him to keep singing. He stopped walking and serenaded the girls with a whole medley a cappella. He became so focused that he didn’t realize they didn’t only want his singing.
Andy’s professional career débuted in England. After University, he began performing regularly at the local jazz clubs and restaurants with live music. To this day, the greatest compliment he received was at one of those early gigs. The venue owner – a big Sinatra fan – told Andy: “I’ll never listen to Old Blue Eyes the same way again”.
Moving back to Portugal in 2000, Andy spent the following four years singing with one of the country’s premier swing bands appearing in resort hotels, the Casino Estoril, the jazz scene, corporate events, and on Television.
Doing it right
Andy decided to make a radical life-change and move back to Toronto in 2004 starting all over again. Andy has been a full-time entertainer since 2009 shortly after the birth of his son, Nathaniel Francis (whom he named after Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra). He has been a frequent headliner in the city’s music night scene since 2011, after the birth of his daughter, Christina Janice (whom he did not get to name!). Andy became a regular entertainer in the US casino circuit in March of 2014 and completed his single, Toronto! in May of 2014.
Local Produce
Two highly publicized shows were produced, launched and sold out: “Krooner and King” at Hugh’s Room in 2012, and “Vinicius: The Best of Brazillian Samba and Bossa Nova” at Lula Lounge in 2013 (in tribute to his mother’s Brazillian origin). Andy is currently working on his music album “Colors” and a show for 2015, The Sinatra Centennial (with the Starlight Orchestra’s 16 piece big band).
Game Changers
Important milestones were the introduction to high powered music personalities. Among them are: composer (for Michael Bublé) and pianist Robert Scott (through their mutual hairdresser, of all people!); Jazz FM91s host Jaymz Bee (also the Jazz Safari energetic tour guide); big band arranger Anthony Terpstra; jazz singer Micah Barnes; the multi-talented producer Mark Zubek.
In the last year, Andy De Campos broke into the American casino circuit via agent Rob Taggart (who has booked such acts as Paul Anka, Johnny Mathis, and Frank Sinatra Jr.). This, and other recent successes has asserted our crooner’s path to become a household name in adult contemporary music and his personal goal to revive the role of the classic lounge singer in North America’s popular music.
