COUNT and GROUP BY from multiple columns...

[emexinc]

...i've come close to answers, but nothing that has worked thus far...

...firstly i want to search a mysql database...
...but i need to search multiple columns...
...but i do not want duplications, so if two or more results are the same, i would like that to only be counted as one result...

...here's what i'm looking at...i have a mysql database with artist names, first and last...and i currently have four sets of these ( i've only come across four artists max thus far for one song with the songs that i have )...and i'd like to have the total number of artists beginning with the letter 'A' ( for example ) whether it be their first or last name that would start with that...but i do not want to the same artist counted more than once even if they have their name under multiple songs...any direction would be great...i'm sorta out of ideas at this point...thanks

[Zane]

Try this
[code]SELECT CONCAT(firstname, ' ', lastname) As fullname FROM database GROUP BY fullname[/code]

[fenway]

Depending on what you're using this for, DISTINCT could also work:

[code]
SELECT DISTINCT firstname, lastname FROM database
[/code]