Andre Cymone

Andre Cymone
Randi St. Nichols; Distributed by Columbia Records · Public domain · source
Name	Andre Cymone
Birth name	Andre Simon Anderson
Birth date	27 June 1958
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Genres	Funk, R&B, Pop, New wave
Occupations	Musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, bassist
Instruments	Bass guitar, vocals, guitar, keyboards
Years active	1970s–present
Associated acts	Prince, Jill Jones, Ta Mara and the Seen, Adam Ant, John L. Nelson

Andre Cymone

Andre Cymone is an American musician, songwriter, bassist, and record producer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He rose to prominence in the late 1970s and 1980s through early collaborations with Prince and a string of solo albums that blended funk, R&B, and new wave. Cymone later transitioned into a successful songwriting and production career, working with artists across pop and R&B.

Early life and education

Born Andre Simon Anderson in Minneapolis, Cymone grew up in the North Side neighborhood shaped by local scenes around First Avenue and community institutions such as North High School. His formative years were influenced by regional performers and touring acts that visited Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and by family connections to musicians active in the Twin Cities circuit. He developed bass and vocal skills playing in neighborhood bands and at local venues associated with the Minneapolis music community.

Career with Prince and early collaborations

Cymone became an early friend and collaborator of Prince during the late 1970s Minneapolis scene that included figures such as Andre’s peers and ensembles that performed at venues like Grand Central and The Depot. He joined early bands that supported Prince on regional gigs and contributed to rehearsal recordings and demos that circulated among artists connected to Warner Bros. Records. Their collaboration intersected with musicians such as Brownmark, Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, and songwriters within the emergent Minneapolis sound. Cymone’s early association with Prince positioned him alongside producers and arrangers who later worked with acts on labels like Paisley Park Records.

Solo recording career

Cymone launched a solo recording career with albums that showcased his bass playing and genre-fluid songwriting, releasing records on labels that engaged with artists similar to Rick James, Sheila E., and The Time. His albums combined elements heard in productions by Sly Stone, James Brown, David Bowie, and Talking Heads, reflecting a mix of funk, R&B, and new wave influences. Singles from his solo releases received airplay on stations programming Urban contemporary and Top 40. Touring supported appearances at venues and festivals frequented by contemporaries such as Prince, Jellybean Johnson, and touring acts associated with A&M Records and MCA Records.

Production and songwriting work

Transitioning into production and songwriting, Cymone collaborated with a diverse roster including Jill Jones, Cher, and artists connected to Motown Records and Arista Records circles. He contributed to records for performers across pop and R&B, aligning with producers and executives formerly at Warner Bros. Records and independent studios in Los Angeles and Minneapolis-Saint Paul. Cymone’s production credits intersect with studio engineers and session musicians who worked with acts like Madonna, Prince, and Mariah Carey in various professional networks. He also engaged in songwriting partnerships that placed compositions on releases distributed by legacy labels and contemporary imprints.

Musical style and influences

Cymone’s musical style fuses elements of funk basslines, melodic R&B vocal phrasing, and textural aspects of new wave production. His approach draws influence from artists such as James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, David Bowie, Parliament-Funkadelic, and contemporary acts emerging from the Minneapolis scene like The Time and Prince. Cymone incorporated studio techniques linked to producers from Stax Records, Motown Records, and 1980s pop studios, favoring punchy rhythm sections, layered synths, and concise pop arrangements.

Personal life

Andre Cymone has maintained ties to the Minneapolis community while working in metropolitan music centers including Los Angeles and New York City. He has family connections to musicians and has appeared in interviews and documentaries alongside peers from the Minneapolis sound era. Cymone’s personal narrative intersects with broader music-industry developments involving labels, touring unions, and collaborative collectives that include musicians such as Jill Jones and session contributors from Minnesota and California.

Legacy and impact on popular music

Cymone is recognized as an early architect of the Minneapolis sound alongside Prince, The Time, Jellybean Johnson, and contemporaries who shaped 1980s pop and R&B production aesthetics. His bass-driven songwriting and production work influenced artists across pop, R&B, and funk scenes and informed the rhythmic templates adopted by later performers and producers working with figures like Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and others who drew on Minneapolis-era innovations. Cymone’s recordings and production credits continue to be referenced in retrospectives about 1980s music, regional music histories, and studies of influential producers and musicians.

Category:1958 births Category:American bass guitarists Category:Musicians from Minneapolis Category:Record producers from Minnesota