Andrew Meraldson
| Andrew Meraldson | |
|---|---|
 Andrew-Meraldson-Singer-Bio-Headshot.jpeg | |
| Born | Martin Florent Aurelien Robert Handy 1998-06-12 Marseille, France |
| 🏡 Residence | Paris |
| 🏳️ Nationality | French-Spanish |
| Other names | Drew, Andy, Anders |
| 💼 Occupation | Singer-Songwriter |
| 📆 Years active | 2008-Present |
| 👔 Employer | Feather Studios |
| 🏢 Organisation | Feather Studios |
| Agent | Feather Studios |
| Known for | Singer-Songwriter |
| 🏡 Home town | Auburn, California, United States |
| Height | 185 |
| Title | Singer-Songwriter |
| ❤️ Partner(s) | Unknown 2021-Present |
| 👴 👵 Parent(s) | Deborah Lynn (Mother), Brian Sharp (Father), Genevieve Handy (Mother), Pierre Handy (Father) |
| 👪 Relatives | Aaron Sharp (Brother), Tanner Sharp (Brother), Steven Overdevest (Brother), Heather Korngiebel (Sister) |
| 🌐 Website | https://www.andrewmeraldson.com |
| https://x.com/AndrewMeraldson | |
| https://www.facebook.com/AndrewMeraldsonMusic | |
| https://www.instagram.com/andrewmeraldson/ | |
Andrew Meraldson, born Martin Florent Aurélien Robert Handy on June 12, 1998, in Marseille, France, is a French-Spanish singer-songwriter.
An internationally recognized and versatile artist, he is known for his mastery of a wide array of musical genres, ranging from folk and country to pop, indie, rockabilly, and musical theater. Renowned for his powerful vocals and the emotional depth of his performances, Andrew also stands out for his multilingualism and exceptional vocal imitation skills, allowing him to perform fluently in English, Spanish, and French, as well as many other languages.
Biography
Youth, Origins, and Personal Hardships
Born into a family of Spanish Gypsy descent—a heritage he proudly claims and which makes Spanish his native language—Andrew was adopted during his early childhood following a family tragedy. In his biological family, he has a total of five siblings. Thanks to this complex and unique family history, bridging his biological roots and his life's journey, Andrew officially holds dual Spanish and French citizenship. Finding his biological family remains the greatest quest of his life.
He grew up in an atypical bicultural environment, navigating between the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France and Auburn, California (United States). However, his journey has been marked by severe hardships. His integration into his French adoptive family (Pierre Handy, who passed away in 2023, and Geneviève Handy) was deeply traumatic. Marked by a complex family environment and a succession of tragedies, he went through extremely difficult years in France. He found a stark contrast and vital support with his American family in California (Deborah Lynn, Brian Sharp, and his American siblings: Steven, Aaron, Tanner, and Heather).
Diagnosed with autism and savant syndrome, Andrew showed a hypersensitivity to sounds from a very young age. This neurodivergence proved to be a major asset, giving him an extraordinary ability to memorize, process, and reproduce complex musical compositions. He began singing at the age of six. The following year, a music teacher recognized his exceptional abilities, paving the way for his first stage performances at just eight years old.
Career
Early Steps and Breakthrough (2008 - 2016)
Andrew’s career began early on theater stages, where he performed Broadway standards and Disney classics from the age of ten. In 2009, he reached a major milestone by performing Mozart's Requiem before an audience of 8,000 at the Roman Theatre of Vienne. His vocal performance in the children's choir caught the attention of industry professionals.
Drawing on his savant syndrome, he developed a multilingual repertoire with remarkable phonetic precision. In 2012, he developed a passion for the work of the legendary singer Dalida. Over the years, he has covered more than 211 of her songs in a wide variety of languages, including French, Spanish, Italian, German, Egyptian Arabic, Russian, and Hebrew. At the same time, inspired by Argentine singer Florencia Bertotti, who shaped his approach to pop, and by bands like the Zac Brown Band, he added country music to his repertoire starting in 2014. In 2016, he consolidated his stage experience by performing major Broadway classics (The Lion King, Frozen, Anastasia, The Little Mermaid).
Academic Training, Travels, and Inspiration (2017 - 2023)
In 2017, Andrew moved to Paris to perfect his craft. Admitted to a prestigious music school, he completed an intensive two-year program, graduating in June 2019. Building on this training, he was selected after a rigorous audition to join a Disney musical in France—a project that was ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Far from slowing his creative momentum, these years were also marked by global exploration. His extensive travels across England, the United States, Spain, Malta, Germany, Ireland, and Scotland opened up new cultural horizons. This melting pot of international influences deeply shaped his worldview and became a major source of inspiration for his own songwriting.
In 2022, discovering the Australian group The Seekers and their iconic lead singer, Judith Durham, steered him toward the folk genre. By the end of that same year, the influence of Buddy Holly enriched his musical identity with rockabilly sounds.
Studio Success and Dramatic Arts (Since 2024)
Armed with a colossal repertoire of over 1,000 songs, Andrew began releasing his original compositions, alongside covers of famous tracks, on major streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music) in 2024, supported by the US-Australian label Feather Studios.
In 2025, he expanded his artistic skill set by training in dramatic theater, comedy, tragedy, and the art of clowning. This pursuit led to a defining encounter in April 2025 with Claire Guyot. An inescapable and legendary figure in French voice acting and theater, she is famously known as the French voice of iconic characters such as Ariel in Walt Disney's The Little Mermaid, Sam in the animated series Totally Spies!, and the Fairy Godmother in DreamWorks' Shrek franchise. She is also the regular voice for A-list actresses, notably dubbing Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Teri Hatcher (Susan Delfino in Desperate Housewives). This meeting with such a high-caliber artist marked the beginning of a solid friendship and a valuable professional alliance for Andrew.
Private Life and Advocacy
Andrew Meraldson is known for the transparency with which he discusses his personal life, forging a powerful and authentic connection with his audience.
He openly talks about his autism and savant syndrome, viewing his neurodiversity not as an obstacle, but as the cornerstone of his work ethic and artistic excellence. Furthermore, he faces significant health challenges linked to genetic diseases. Rather than hiding these medical struggles and the severe traumas of his childhood, Andrew chooses to turn them into a driving force. Writing and performing have become his way of transcending pain; he channels his deepest suffering to fuel his art, offering his audience a body of work of rare sincerity and depth.
On a personal level, Andrew came out as gay in 2012, a liberating milestone that has lastingly influenced his journey as a man and an artist. He has been sharing his life with his partner since 2021.
Influences
Throughout his career, Andrew has been influenced by a range of artists and genres, which have shaped his unique sound:
•Florencia Bertotti: As a child, Andrew was inspired by the Argentine singer and actress, whose work helped shape his exploration of Pop music.
•Dalida: Her timeless music inspired Andrew to revive classic songs and share them with new audiences across multiple languages.
•Julie Andrews: The legendary actress and singer influenced Andrew’s vocal style and love for musical theatre.
•Zac Brown Band: Their influence helped Andrew incorporate Country music into his repertoire.
•Johnny Cash: Cash’s iconic sound inspired Andrew to dive deeper into traditional country and folk styles.
•Donovan Leitch: Donovan’s folk-rock style has influenced Andrew’s acoustic and folk performances.
•Melanie Safka: Known for her emotive and folk-inspired music, Melanie Safka has added depth to Andrew’s folk influences.
•Andy Williams: His smooth vocals and romantic ballads have inspired Andrew’s approach to emotional storytelling through music.
•Françoise Hardy: The French icon has influenced Andrew’s exploration of French pop and chanson.
•The Seekers and Judith Durham: By mid-2022, Andrew discovered The Seekers, whose Folk music added a new layer to his style, with Judith Durham being a particularly strong influence on his vocal approach.
•Ricky Nelson: His contributions to early rock and pop have shaped Andrew’s approach to modern rockabilly.
•The Crickets and Buddy Holly: By the end of 2022, Andrew discovered Buddy Holly and The Crickets, which introduced him to Rockabilly and classic rock ‘n’ roll.
References
https://www.andrewmeraldson.com/
https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewmeraldsonofficial
https://www.instagram.com/andrewmeraldson/
https://www.facebook.com/AndrewMeraldsonMusic
https://open.spotify.com/artist/18lt9qmuZdwhrIpF3e9Yq4?si=K3O9LleeSnyzsJ4CtaeNsA
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/andrew-meraldson/1778118028
https://music.amazon.com/artists/B0DM2S5179/andrew-meraldson
https://listen.tidal.com/artist/51616998
https://www.deezer.com/us/artist/288659021
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm16785903/
