Jethro Tull is a British rock band often classified as progressive rock, although they were heavily influenced by blues and folk music. Their lead singer, Ian Anderson, is well known for playing the flute and for his quirky stage-presence. Among their most famous albums are Aqualung (1971), Thick as a Brick (1972), Songs from the Wood (1977) and the Grammy Award-winning Crest of a Knave (1987). They named themselves after a British Agriculturist who invented seed drill. They are known for having undergone numerous changes of line-up: at a 2008 gig at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Anderson drew attention to "bass-player number eight", David Goodier.
In Spring 2008, the band embarked on a European tour in celebration of the 40th anniversary of their debut album, This Was. The set list of the tour was drawn predominantly from the band's first four albums (This Was, Stand Up, Benefit and Aqualung), and shows featured numerous guest appearances, including appearances by Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and former Tull drummer Barrie Barlow.
Jethro Tull beat Metallica to win the first Grammy Award for Heavy Metal Performance in 1989, causing a great deal of controversy, as many did not consider them to be a heavy metal band. The band did not show up to collect their award, but released a full-page newspaper advertisement the next day stating that "The flute is a heavy metal instrument."[1]
Jethro Tull, inventor.