Tony Banks (musician)
| Tony Banks | |
|---|---|
Banks playing at the Old Trafford football stadium in 2007
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Anthony George Banks |
| Born |
27 March 1950 East Hoathly, East Sussex, England |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | tonybanksmusic.co.uk |
| Notable instruments | |
Anthony George "Tony" Banks (born 27 March 1950) is an English musician and multi-instrumentalist, primarily known for being the keyboardist and a founding member of the rock band Genesis. He is one of the only two members (the other being bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford) who have been with Genesis throughout the band's entire history. In 2010, Banks was inducted (as a member of Genesis) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2015, he was named "Prog God" at the annual Progressive Music Awards. Banks is ranked No. 11 on MusicRadar's greatest keyboard players of all time.
Banks was one of the main composers of Genesis's music and made major lyrical contributions to the band's songs. As the band's keyboardist he used a variety of instruments, including the ARP Pro Soloist synthesiser, the Mellotron, the Yamaha CP-70, and the Hammond T-102 organ. In the band's earliest years Banks would play acoustic guitar for some of the mellow and pastoral songs.
Outside Genesis, Banks has pursued a solo career, which has included film scoring, pop songs and orchestral music. In 2006, the first Tony Banks biography, Man of Spells by journalist Mario Giammetti, was published in Italy (Edizioni Segno).
Anthony George Banks was born in East Hoathly, Sussex, England. He received classical training in piano and taught himself to play guitar. He attended Charterhouse School, where he met fellow pupil Peter Gabriel in 1963. Banks originally planned to study mathematics in higher education. After Charterhouse he began studying chemistry at Sussex University but soon switched to physics and philosophy. After a year at Sussex, he took a leave of absence to explore a full-time career with Genesis and never returned.
Banks and Gabriel, together with drummer Chris Stewart, formed a band called Garden Wall. This band merged with another called Anon, which included Mike Rutherford and Anthony Phillips. They recorded a set of demos which ultimately led to the formation of the band that became Genesis.
...
Wikipedia