Editing Andy Partridge (section)

==Personal life==
Partridge was married to Marianne Wyborn from 1979 to 1994.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Passantino |first1=Rosemary |title=XTC AT LAST |journal=SPIN |date=April 1989 |volume=5 |issue=1 |page=121}}</ref><ref name="Kinney" />  Together, they had two children: Holly and Harry. Harry is an independent web animator who created the comedic short ''[[Saturday Morning Watchmen]]'' (2009), and later, ''Dr. Bees'', ''Starbarians'' and ''Trilby Dogtooth''.<ref name="harry">{{cite web |url=http://kittysneezes.com/2009/06/02/interview-harry-partridge-472/ |title=Interviews - Interview: Harry Partridge |website=Kittysneezes.com |date=30 December 2016 |access-date=1 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140825150737/http://kittysneezes.com/2009/06/02/interview-harry-partridge-472/ |archive-date=25 August 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After his divorce, Partridge entered into a long-term relationship with American singer Erica Wexler. Partridge has attributed the subject matter of XTC songs including "Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her" and "Another Satellite" to aspects of their ongoing relationship. Partridge had met Wexler in the early 1980s; they began dating shortly after she split from artist [[Roy Lichtenstein]] in 1994, and she has lived with him in Swindon since then.<ref name="Kinney" /><ref name="SGS">{{cite web|last1=Bernhardt|first1=Todd|last2=Partridge|first2=Andy|title=Andy discusses 'Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her'|url=http://chalkhills.org/articles/XTCFans20070708.html|website=Chalkhills|date=8 July 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=18 February 2013|title = 'Roy didn't want a woman. He liked them young and juicy': Lichtenstein's secret lover on being the muse behind his nudes|url =https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/exhibitions/roy-didnt-want-a-woman-he-liked-them-young-and-juicy-lichtensteins-secret-lover-on-being-the-muse-8499255.html}}</ref>

The subject matter of Partridge's songs frequently touch upon politics, religion, his hometown of Swindon, social class, factory work, insects, comic book characters, seafaring, war, and ancient rituals.<ref name="Farmer">{{cite book|last1=Farmer|first1=Neville|title=XTC: Song Stories: The Exclusive Authorized Story Behind the Music|date=1998|publisher=Helter Skelter Publishing|location=London|isbn=190092403X|author-link=Neville Farmer}}</ref> Partridge did not become interested in politics until the [[1979 United Kingdom general election]], in which he voted for [[Margaret Thatcher]]'s [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] "purely because she was a woman. I was that naive. Now I'm very [[Left-wing politics|left]]."<ref name="heavyload">{{cite web |last1=Fortnam |first1=Ian |title=Heavy Load: Andy Partridge |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/heavy-load-andy-partridge |website=[[Louder Sound]] |access-date=17 November 2018 |date=19 February 2016}}</ref> He also identifies as an [[atheist]].<ref name="Isler89"/> 

On the back of the ''[[Apple Venus Volume 1]]'' (1999) record sleeve is a version of the [[Wiccan Rede]]: "Do what you will but harm none." While stating that he only had "a smattering of knowledge" on [[Wicca]], he described himself as "interested in the pre-Christian appreciation of the land and the spirit of things, [[Animism|spirits in animate things and inanimate things]]" in a contemporary interview.<ref name="Jam99">{{cite web|editor-last1=Sakamoto|editor-first1=John|title=The XTC Interview|url=http://chalkhills.org/articles/JAM19990305.html|website=Jam! Music|date=5 March 1999}}</ref> XTC's 1986 song "[[Dear God (XTC song)|Dear God]]", written by Partridge, was seen as controversial at the time for its anti-religious message; Partridge stated that the song failed to represent his true feelings on religion, as human belief is "such a ''vast'' subject".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bernhardt |first1=Todd |last2=Partridge |first2=Andy |title=Andy discusses 'Dear God' |url=http://chalkhills.org/articles/XTCFans20061126.html |website=Chalkhills |access-date=13 November 2018 |date=26 November 2006}}</ref> Although an atheist, he believes that [[heaven]] and [[hell]] exist metaphorically.<ref name="Isler89"/> Another of his songs, "Season Cycle" (1986), included the couplet "Everybody says, Join our religion, get to heaven / I say, no thanks, why bless my soul, I'm already there!"<ref name="Sherwood">{{cite AV media notes|last=Sherwood|first=Harrison| title = [[Coat of Many Cupboards]]|chapter=Bless My Soul, I'm Already There!|chapter-url=http://chalkhills.org/articles/CoatOfManyCupboards-essay.html| others= XTC| year = 2002| type = liner| publisher = [[Virgin Records|Virgin]]}}</ref> Explaining the lyric "do what you want to do / just don't hurt nobody" from his 1989 song "[[Garden of Earthly Delights]]", he said: "I'm sure .. what heaven is, really ... is not hurting anyone."<ref name="Isler89">{{cite journal |last1=Isler |first1=Scott |title=The Dukes of Swindon |journal=[[Musician (magazine)|Musician]] |date=May 1989 |url=http://chalkhills.org/articles/Musician198905.html}}</ref>

===Health===

Partridge experiences auditory [[synesthesia]], which he uses in his songwriting process.<ref name="Lyrical">{{cite web |last1=Bernhardt |first1=Todd |last2=Partridge |first2=Andy |title=The Lyrical Andy Partridge |url=http://chalkhills.org/articles/XTCFans20060324.html |website=Chalkhills |access-date=18 October 2018 |date=24 March 2006}}</ref>  In later interviews, he stated he believes himself to be on the [[autistic spectrum]],<ref>{{cite web |author1=Tunetribe Podcast |title=96: Andy Partridge|url=https://soundcloud.com/tunetribe-entertainment/podcast-96|website=[[SoundCloud]] |access-date=October 18, 2018 |time= 17:37|format=Audio |date=2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Bernhardt |first1=Todd |last2=Partridge |first2=Andy |title=Andy discusses 'Beatown' |url=http://chalkhills.org/articles/XTCFans20080727.html |website=Chalkhills |access-date=17 May 2019 |date=27 July 2008}}</ref> saying in a 2022 interview with ''[[The Guardian]]'': "I think I'm on the spectrum, yes, but it's all helped me and I wouldn't have it any other way." He has also had [[obsessive–compulsive disorder]] since childhood.<ref name="Kinney" /> At the age of 12, he was professionally diagnosed with [[ADHD]] (known at the time as simply "hyperactivity") and prescribed [[Valium]]. He later formed a dependency on the drug that was exacerbated by the pressures of his music career. After disposing of the drug in 1981, he experienced severe withdrawal effects that led to XTC's withdrawal from touring.<ref name="Sailed2006" />

In 1992, Partridge had an ear infection that left him temporarily deaf,<ref name="Mojo1999"/> and in 2006, during one of the sessions for ''Monstrance'', some of his hearing was destroyed following a studio mishap which caused him to develop severe [[tinnitus]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gallo|first1=Phil|title=XTC's Partridge discusses boxset, Monstrance|url=https://variety.com/2006/music/news/xtc-s-partridge-discusses-boxset-monstrance-1117955044/|website=Variety|date=4 December 2006|access-date=20 September 2017}}</ref> He later stated that he had "contemplated suicide, just to stop [the tinnitus]."<ref name="heavyload" />