He was born on June 10, 1952 in Jacksonville, Florida, and began playing guitar at a young age. In 1971, he joined the Jacksonville-based band Molly Hatchet, and toured with them until 1980.
After leaving Molly Hatchet, McKinney went on to form the band Andy McKinney and the Road Hawgs, which released two albums in the 1980s.
He has also worked as a session musician, and has appeared on albums by artists such as Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts.
In recent years, McKinney has been living in Jacksonville, Florida, and continues to play music occasionally.