Editing Andy Partridge (section)

==Early life==
Andrew John Partridge was born 11 November 1953 at [[RNH Mtarfa|Mtarfa Royal Navy Hospital]] in [[Mtarfa]], [[Malta]] to English parents.<ref name="Twomey"/> He grew up on Penhill [[council estate]] in [[Swindon]], [[Wiltshire]].<ref>{{cite magazine |date=20 April 1989 |title=XTC: Ninjas of the Mundane |url=http://chalkhills.org/articles/19890420_RollingStone.pdf |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref> Partridge was an only child.  His father John was a navy signalman, and his mother Vera a shop assistant in a retail chemists. When Partridge entered adolescence, it was discovered that his father was having an extramarital affair, and his mother consequently had a nervous breakdown, leading to her being institutionalised. She "verbally disowned" Andy once he started growing his hair long.<ref name="Twomey"/><ref name="Paphides">{{cite magazine|last1=Paphides |first1=Peter |author-link=Peter Paphides|title=Senses Working Overtime |url=http://chalkhills.org/articles/Word200404.html |magazine=[[The Word (UK magazine)|The Word]]|date=April 2004|issue=14}}</ref>

As a teenager, Partridge was a fan of contemporary pop groups like [[the Beatles]], but was intimidated by the process of learning guitar. When [[the Monkees]] grew popular, he became interested in joining a music group. He recalled watching local guitarist [[Dave Gregory (musician)|Dave Gregory]] performing [[Jimi Hendrix]]-style songs at churches and youth clubs: "Sort of [[acid rock|acid]]-[[skiffle]]. I thought, 'Ah, one day I'll play guitar!' But I didn't think I would be in the same band as this kid on the stage."<ref name="Contrast1990" /> He was particularly fond of [[psychedelic music|psychedelic]] records such as [[Pink Floyd]]'s "[[See Emily Play]]" (1967), [[Tomorrow (band)|Tomorrow]]'s "[[My White Bicycle]]" (1967), and [[Simon Dupree and the Big Sound|the Moles]]' "We Are the Moles" (1968).<ref name="Myers">{{cite magazine|last1=Myers|first1=Paul|title=XTC's Psych Side Project Gets an Acid Flashback|magazine=[[Crawdaddy!]]|date=14 October 2009|url=http://chalkhills.org/articles/Crawdaddy20091014.html}}</ref> The first records he ever bought were the Beatles' ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' (1967) and the Monkees' [[The Monkees (album)|self-titled debut]] (1966).<ref name="Spin89"/>

Partridge eventually obtained a guitar, taught himself how to play it with no formal training, and immediately took to writing songs.<ref name="Contrast1990" /> He submitted a caricature of Monkee [[Micky Dolenz]] to ''Monkees Monthly''{{'}}s Draw a Monkee competition and won, using the £10 prize to buy a [[Grundig]] tape recorder.<ref name="heavyload"/> At the age of 15, he wrote his first song, titled "Please Help Me", and while in Swindon College attracted the nickname "Rocky" for his early guitar mastery of the Beatles' "[[Rocky Raccoon]]".<ref name="Mojo1999"/>  Partridge eventually dropped out of school and formed the first of several "loud and horrid" rock bands with the purpose of meeting girls.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Small |first1=Michael |title=On the Road |url=http://chalkhills.org/articles/People198905.html |website=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=May–June 1992}}</ref>

By the early 1970s, his music tastes had accordingly transitioned "from the Monkees to having a big binge on this Euro-avant-garde stuff. I got really in deep."<ref name="Contrast1990">{{cite magazine |last1=Bookasta |first1=Randy |last2=Howard |first2=David |title=Season Cyclers |magazine=Contrast |issue=7 |date=1990|url=http://chalkhills.org/articles/Contrast1990.html}}</ref> One of his first bands was called "Stiff Beach", formed in August 1970.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gimarc|first=George|title=Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide to Underground Rock, 1970-1982|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4WM6Cb1z-PwC|year=2005|publisher=Backbeat Books|isbn=978-0-87930-848-3|pages=1, 10}}</ref> In early 1972, Partridge's constantly evolving group settled into a four-piece called "Star Park".<ref name="Twomey">{{cite book|last1=Twomey|first1=Chris|title=XTC: Chalkhills and Children|date=1992|publisher=Omnibus Press|location=London|isbn=9780711927582|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/xtcchalkhillschi00twom}}</ref> By then, he had found a job at a record shop<ref name="Paphides" /> and was engrossed with bands such as [[the Stooges]], the [[New York Dolls]], [[Alice Cooper (band)|Alice Cooper]], and [[Pink Fairies]].<ref name="Contrast1990" />