Queen Elizabeth II has awarded Jethro Tull founder and frontman the MBE.
The 59 year old singer and songwriter was granted the award in the Queen's annual honors list for his services to the music industry.Anderson has been recording and performing with Jethro Tull for 40 years.
The Grammy Award winning Jethro Tull formed in 1967. The jazz-tinged rock band stood out amongst their contemporaries because Anderson played a flute instead of the traditional rock tool, the guitar.
Jethro Tull perfected the concept album with the release of 'Thick As A Brick' in 1972. They followed that up with another concept album 'A Passion Play'.
Probably Jethro Tull's greatest and least deserved achievement came in 1987 when they won the award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance award at the 1989 Grammy Awards. They beat Metallica who were nominated for 'And Justice For All'. After much criticism, as a joke, the band took out a press add stating "The flute is a Heavy Metal instrument". Metallica won the Grammy in the same category a year later. Lars Ulrich thanked Jethro Tull "for not putting out an album this year".
At the end of 2006, Tull were listed as having performed 2789 concerts since 1968. That gives them an average of 73 shows a year.
Away from the music industry, Anderson is a successful businessman in his own rite. He has invested his money in salmon farms. His Strathaird farm was worth £10.7 million before he started to sell off parts.
