Francis Monkman
| Francis Monkman | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Anthony Francis Keigwin Monkman |
| Born | 9 June 1949 |
| Origin | Hampstead, North London |
| Genres | Progressive rock, classical music |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, musician, film score composer |
| Instruments | Keyboards, guitar |
| Years active | 1960s–present |
| Associated acts | Curved Air, Sky, 801, Al Stewart, Renaissance, The Shadows, Elton John. |
Francis Monkman (born 9 June 1949, in Hampstead, North London, England) is an English rock, classical and film score composer, and a founding member of both the progressive rock band Curved Air and the classical/rock fusion band Sky. He is the son of the late Kenneth Monkman, an authority on the writer Laurence Sterne, and of the late Vita née Duncombe Mann.
He was a pupil at Westminster School where he studied organ and harpsichord, later studying at the Royal College of Music, winning the Raymond Russell prize for virtuosity on the harpsichord and becoming a member of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.
In the late 1960s, he founded the rock band Sisyphus, which evolved into the pioneering band Curved Air. He played on their first three albums, leaving after the release of Phantasmagoria (1972) and returning briefly for the tour which resulted in the release of the album Live (1975).
He contributed to the Renaissance album Prologue (1972), worked with Al Stewart including contributing to the album Past, Present and Future (1973) and toured with The Shadows on their 20 Golden Greats Tour (1977). Also in 1977, he collaborated with Phil Manzanera and Brian Eno on the project 801. In 1978, he played all keyboards on Brian Bennett's solo album Voyage.
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