Andy Rowell was born at home in Monroeville, Alabama, in 1948 to Andy Rowell, Sr. and Alice McKenzie Rowell. His father served in the army in Europe during WWII. After graduation from Monroeville County High School in 1967, Andy began attending Patrick Henry Junior College, but was drafted and attended basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and AIT at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He went to Vietnam July 15, 1969 and was assigned to Alpha Company. He carried an M-16, an M-79 grenade launcher, the scrambler and the puncher, and then he became an RTO. In July of 1970, Andy became supply sergeant. He left Vietnam on July 12, 1970 and finished his service at Fort Carson, Colorado in a mechanized unit. He left the service on an early out in November of 1970 to attend junior college and married Linda on December 20, 1970. He returned to his job at the grocery store, finished at the junior college in 1971 before attending Livingston University in 1973, now known as West Alabama University, earning a BS degree. After returning home from college, he began working at Hainje's Incorporated.