1. Geoffrey Downes was born on 25 August 1952 and is an English keyboardist who gained fame as a member of the new wave group the Buggles with Trevor Horn, the progressive rock band Yes, and the supergroup Asia.
23 Facts About Geoff Downes
1. 2.
In May 1980, Geoff Downes joined Yes with Horn and recorded Drama.
3.
Geoff Downes left Asia in 1986, rejoined in 1990, and has been a part of the lineup since then; he released several solo albums and produced for several artists, including Mike Oldfield and the Thompson Twins.
4.
In 2006, Geoff Downes reunited the original Asia lineup and rejoined Yes in 2011; he is currently a member of both groups.
5.
Geoff Downes entered the Guinness Book of Records for performing with a record 28 keyboards on stage in a single performance.
6.
Geoff Downes was born at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, Cheshire, the son of musical parents.
7.
Geoff Downes's father was a church organist and his mother a pianist.
8.
Geoff Downes took up the keyboards and played in a succession of local bands.
9.
Geoff Downes played keyboards for a theatre production of The Wombles in 1975.
10.
In 1976, Geoff Downes met Trevor Horn while auditioning for pop singer Tina Charles' backing band, for which Horn produced a single called Don't come back in 1977, which was published under the name "Fallen Angel and the Tina Charles Band".
11.
Geoff Downes was the first member of the band to have completed a music degree.
12.
In 1989, Geoff Downes was involved in the remake of Deep Purple's 1972 song "Smoke on the Water" to raise funds for the Spitak earthquake victims.
13.
Geoff Downes has continued to release sporadic solo albums over the years, mainly under the name The New Dance Orchestra.
14.
Geoff Downes performed a sold out one-man show in 2003 at St Cyprian's Church in London, which was recorded using ambisonics technology.
15.
Geoff Downes has worked extensively as a producer with such acts as Mike Oldfield, Thompson Twins and GTR.
16.
Geoff Downes is credited as a co-writer on Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe album ; he is credited due to Howe re-using some musical ideas from Asia.
17.
In recent years, Geoff Downes has teamed up with Wetton in a separate project under the name Icon.
18.
In 2006, Geoff Downes reunited with the original members of Asia for a series of tours that continued into 2008, releasing a new album of studio material, Phoenix, with more shows performed through Spring 2009.
19.
In 2012, Geoff Downes teamed up with Chris Braide under the name DBA.
20.
Geoff Downes released a further New Dance Orchestra album in 2010 entitled Electronica with vocals from Anne-Marie Helder.
21.
Geoff Downes co-composed 7 of the 9 original compositions on the album with Wetton, and the remaining two with Wetton and Howe.
22.
Geoff Downes has two daughters, Christina and Alexandra, from his first wife, Norwegian former model Wenche Steen, who was Miss Norway in 1973.
23.
Geoff Downes is a supporter of the football club Cardiff City.