Geoffrey Downes (born 25 August 1952) is an English keyboardist who gained fame as a member of the new wave group

The Buggles The Buggles were an English new wave band formed in London in 1977 by singer and bassist Trevor Horn and keyboardist Geoff Downes. They are best known for their 1979 debut single "Video Killed the Radio Star", which topped the UK Singles Chart ...

with

Trevor Horn Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...

, the

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Initi ...

band Yes, and the

supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to: * Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields * Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry * Supergroup ...

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

. Born in

Stockport Stockport is a town and borough in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt and Tame merge to create the River Mersey here. Most of the town is withi ...

, Downes moved to London to pursue a music career. In 1977, he formed The Buggles with Horn and enjoyed success with their first album '' The Age of Plastic'' (1980) which included the worldwide hit single "

Video Killed the Radio Star "Video Killed the Radio Star" is a song written by Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes and Bruce Woolley in 1979. It was recorded concurrently by Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club (with Thomas Dolby on keyboards) for their album ''English Garden'' and ...

". In May 1980, Downes joined Yes with Horn and recorded ''

Drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

'' (1980). After Yes disbanded in 1981, Downes helped Trevor Horn to produce a second Buggles album, ''

Adventures in Modern Recording ''Adventures in Modern Recording'' is the second and final studio album by English New wave music, new wave group the Buggles, released on 11 November 1981 by Carrere Records. Although the Buggles began as a duo of Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes, ...

'' (1981) although he was only primarily involved for half of it, and co-founded Asia with ex-Yes fellow musician

Steve Howe Stephen James Howe (born 8 April 1947) is an English musician, best known as the guitarist in the progressive rock band Yes across three stints since 1970. Born in Holloway, North London, Howe developed an interest in the guitar and began to l ...

. He left Asia in 1986, rejoined in 1990, and has been a part of the line-up since then; he released several solo albums and produced for several artists, including

Mike Oldfield Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documen ...

and the

Thompson Twins Thompson Twins were a British pop band formed in 1977 in Sheffield. Initially a new wave group, they switched to a more mainstream pop sound and achieved considerable popularity during the mid-1980s, scoring a string of hits in the United Ki ...

. In 2006, Downes reunited the original Asia line-up and rejoined Yes in 2011; he is currently a member of both groups. Since 1998, he has reunited with Horn on special occasions to perform songs from The Buggles. Downes entered the ''

Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

'' for performing with a record 28 keyboards on stage in a single performance.

Early life

Downes was born at Stepping Hill Hospital in

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county tow ...

, the son of musical parents. His father was a church

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational ...

and his mother a

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

. He also took up the keyboards and played in a succession of local bands. He attended

Stockport Grammar School Stockport Grammar School is a co-educational independent day school in Stockport, England. Founded in 1487 by former Lord Mayor of London Sir Edmund Shaa, it is the second oldest in the North of England, after Lancaster Royal Grammar School, ...

before studying at

Leeds College of Music Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

. After graduating he moved to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

, where he played sessions and composed advertising

jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually t ...

Career

Early career, The Buggles, and Yes (1975–1981)

In the mid-1970s, Downes was a member of She's French, playing a

Fender Rhodes The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...

electric piano and a

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...

. The band also included

Jamie West-Oram The Fixx are a rock band from London, England, founded in 1979. The band's hits include "One Thing Leads to Another", " Saved by Zero", " Are We Ourselves?", and " Secret Separation", each of which charted in the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 1 ...

on guitar and Hoagy Davies, the son of

Rupert Davies Rupert Davies FRSA (22 May 191622 November 1976) was a British actor. He is best remembered for playing the title role in the BBC's 1960s television adaptation of '' Maigret'', based on Georges Simenon's novels. Life and career Military se ...

, on

Minimoog The Minimoog is an analog synthesizer first manufactured by Moog Music between 1970 and 1981. Designed as a more affordable, portable version of the modular Moog synthesizer, it was the first synthesizer sold in retail stores. It was first popula ...

synthesizer. He played keyboards for a theatre production of

The Wombles ''The Wombles'' are fictional pointy-nosed, furry creatures created by Elisabeth Beresford and originally appearing in a series of children's novels from 1968. They live in burrows, where they aim to help the environment by collecting and recyc ...

in 1975. He played in Gary Boyle's band in 1977. In 1976, Downes met

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". Then they formed the short lived Chromium, with Anne Dudley and

Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Oscars and four Grammys, and has been nominated for two Emmys and a Tony. Zimmer was also named on the list of Top 100 Living G ...

and recorded an album ''Star to Star'' in 1978. Then they continued to work together, eventually forming

, recording a worldwide hit single "

" in 1979. It was

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anothe ...

' first number 1 in the UK, and the video of the song subsequently became the first ever to be played at the launch of MTV on August 1, 1981. The success of The Buggles led to Downes and Horn joining Yes for the ''

'' album and the associated tour in 1980. Downes was the first member of the band to have completed a music degree.

Asia and other projects (1981–2006)

Yes split at the beginning of 1981, and Downes subsequently joined forces with guitarist

(from Yes), bassist/vocalist

John Wetton John Kenneth Wetton (12 June 1949 – 31 January 2017) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. Known for his dexterous bass playing and booming baritone voice, Wetton first gained fame in the early 1970s. Wetton was the singer and p ...

(from

King Crimson King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experiment ...

) and drummer

Carl Palmer Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer (born 20 March 1950) is an English drummer best known as founding member and the last surviving member of the progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer. He was also a founding member of progressive rock s ...

(from

Emerson, Lake & Palmer Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known as ELP) were an English progressive rock supergroup formed in London in 1970. The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitar, producer) and Carl Palmer (drums, percussi ...

) to form

. Despite being out of the band between 1989 and 1990, Downes is the longest-serving member of the band and the only one to appear on every album released by them. Asia was an immediate worldwide success upon the recording of " Heat of the Moment" and the release of their self-titled debut album in 1982; the album remained at number 1 on the Billboard album charts for a record 9 successive weeks. In 1989, Downes was involved in the remake of

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Originally formed as ...

's 1972 song "

Smoke on the Water "Smoke on the Water" is a song by English rock band Deep Purple, first released from the band's sixth studio album ''Machine Head'' (1972), which chronicles the 1971 fire at Montreux Casino. In a 2004 publication by ''Rolling Stone'' magaz ...

" to raise funds for the Spitak earthquake victims. In 2009, Downes along with

Tony Iommi Anthony Frank Iommi () (born 19 February 1948) is a British musician. He co-founded the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and was the band's guitarist, leader and primary composer and sole continuous member for nearly five decades. I ...

Ian Gillan Ian Gillan (born 19 August 1945) is a British singer who is best known as the lead singer and lyricist for the rock band Deep Purple. He is known for his powerful and wide-ranging singing voice. Initially influenced by Elvis Presley, Gillan ...

and the former Wimbledon tennis champion

Pat Cash Patrick Hart Cash (born 27 May 1965) is an Australian former professional tennis player. He reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 4 in May 1988 and a career-high ATP doubles ranking of world No. 6 in August 1988. Upon winning ...

, went to Armenia, and were presented with state medals from the President of Armenia for their efforts in the Rock Aid Armenia project. In addition to recording and touring with Asia through more than three decades, Downes has also recorded a number of solo albums and collaborated with many other artists such as former bandmate

, former Deep Purple Glenn Hughes and

Trapeze A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or flying, an ...

for a tour that produced the live album '' Welcome to the Real World'', Ride The Tiger with

Greg Lake Gregory Stuart Lake (10 November 1947 – 7 December 2016) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock bands King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP). Born and b ...

, and a brief appearance on

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single " Wuthering Heights", becoming the first female ...

's " Sat in Your Lap". In 2005, he joined Yes drummer Alan White's eponymous band,

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, on their debut album. Downes has continued to release sporadic solo albums over the years, mainly under the name The New Dance Orchestra. They include the critically acclaimed 1986

double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording ...

''The Light Programme'', in addition to ''Vox Humana'' (1992), ''Shadows & Reflections'' (2003), along with a few others. He performed a sold out

one-man show A solo performance, sometimes referred to as a one-man show or one-woman show, features a single person telling a story for an audience, typically for the purpose of entertainment. This type of performance comes in many varieties, including auto ...

in 2003 at St Cyprian's Church in London, which was recorded using ambisonics technology. He has also worked extensively as a producer with such acts as

and GTR. As a songwriter, he has written for Agnetha Fältskog of ABBA. He is also credited as a co-writer on ''

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe was an English progressive rock band active from 1988 to 1990 that comprised four past members of the English progressive rock band Yes. Singer Jon Anderson left Yes as he felt increasingly constrained by their ...

'' album (made up of former members of Yes in 1989); he is credited due to Howe re-using some musical ideas from Asia. In recent years, Downes has teamed up with Wetton in a separate project under the name

Icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most c ...

. They have released three studio albums: ''

'' (2005), ''Icon II: Rubicon'' (2006), and '' Icon 3'' (2009) and live album from their 2005 tour.

Reformed Asia, projects, and return to Yes (2006–present)

In 2006, 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 Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

'' (2008), with more shows performed through Spring 2009. Later in 2009, the original Asia toured the US supporting Yes, with him and guitarist Steve Howe doing double duty performing with both bands nightly. In the autumn of 2009 the band went into the studio again to record another album. The Asia album ''

Omega Omega (; capital letter, capital: Ω, lower case, lowercase: ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and final letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numerals, Greek numeric system/isopsephy ...

'' was released in April 2010, the band has embarked on a six-week US tour through August and September. A song, "Extraordinary Life" from their previous album, ''

'' (2008), was chosen as the trailer for US's biggest reality TV show ''

America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global Got Talent, ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (company), F ...

''. Since 2011, Downes shares his time between YES and Asia, touring and recording with both bands. In 2012, Downes teamed up with

Chris Braide Christopher Braide (born 1973) is an English songwriter, record producer and singer, formerly based in Malibu, Los Angeles, California, United States. Braide is known for being a pianist. First signed as a solo artist by David A. Stewart in ...

under the name DBA (Downes Braide Association). The result was an album, ''Pictures of You'', released summer 2012 on Plane Groovy Records. Since then, they have released three more studio recordings (''Suburban Ghosts'' in 2015, ''Skyscraper Souls'' in 2017 and ''Halcyon Hymns'' in 2021), and a live album (''Live in England'' in 2019). While active with the original Asia, he has also finished three albums with Wetton on their side project Icon, and recorded a live DVD in 2009 to promote the release of their third studio album. The project included guitarist Dave Kilminster, Pete Riley, and

Hugh McDowell Hugh Alexander McDowell (31 July 1953 – 6 November 2018)ELO and ...

. In addition, Downes is also working on television, film and production music for a London West End film production company, Original Production Music Ltd. He released a further New Dance Orchestra (NDO) album in 2010 entitled ''Electronica'' with vocals from Anne-Marie Helder. It features Downes' orchestral style of keyboard playing. On 28 September 2010, he reunited with

Bruce Woolley Bruce Martin Woolley (born 11 November 1953) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He wrote songs with artists such as The Buggles and Grace Jones, including "Video Killed the Radio Star" and " Slave to the Rhythm", an ...

and

as the band

, performing "The Lost Gig" to raise funds for the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability. On 22 March 2011, he performed at the Roundhouse, London with

and

Producers Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations * Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does n ...

, along with

Spandau Ballet Spandau Ballet () were an English new wave band formed in Islington, London, in 1979. Inspired by the capital's post-punk underground dance scene, they emerged at the start of the 1980s as the house band for the Blitz Kids, playing "European Da ...

& Alison Moyet to raise funds for a music charity for underprivileged children. The event raised over half a million pounds on the night. On 31 March 2011, he was confirmed as participating in the recording of the new Yes album '' Fly From Here'' (2011), reuniting with them formally for the first time since 1980 and rejoining the band for an upcoming tour. In May 2011, he rejoined Yes as the full-time keyboard player. In 2012, the band appointed a replacement vocalist,

Jon Davison Jon Davison (born January 16, 1971) is an American singer, musician and songwriter who has been the lead vocalist of progressive rock band Yes since 2012. He is also known as the former lead singer of progressive rock band Glass Hammer from 2 ...

. The new Yes album, '' Heaven & Earth'' was released in July 2014. Downes has also worked with Asia on a 30th Anniversary album, '' XXX'', released in 2012. Downes co-composed 7 of the 9 original compositions on the album with Wetton, and the remaining two with Wetton and Howe.

Influences and style

In an interview conducted December 2006, Downes said the three players who had inspired him were

Rick Wakeman Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist best known as a former member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his solo albums released in the 1970s. Born and raised ...

( Yes),

Keith Emerson Keith Noel Emerson (2 November 1944 – 11 March 2016) was an English keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. He played keyboards in a number of bands before finding his first commercial success with the Nice in the late 1960s. He became ...

(

) and especially Dave Sinclair ( Caravan). In the same interview, he identified his favourite Asia tracks as "Only Time Will Tell", "Wildest Dreams", "Open Your Eyes" and "Voice of America". In an August 2015 interview, Downes said his favourite British band is

, with Journey,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the w ...

and Foreigner as his favourite American bands. Asked on Twitter in 2018 which album in his career he is most proud of, Downes replied, "Drama - no doubt."

Personal life

Downes has been married three times and divorced twice. He has two daughters, Christina and Alexandra (died 2013), from his first wife, Norwegian former model , who was Miss Norway in 1973. Downes lives in South Wales with his third and current wife Martine and step-son Louis. He is a supporter of the football club Cardiff City.

Discography

Solo

* ''The Light Program'' (the New Dance Orchestra) (1987, Geffen) * ''Vox Humana'' (the New Dance Orchestra) (1992, JIMCO/ Blueprint Records) * ''Evolution'' (1996, Blueprint Records) * ''The World Service'' (the New Dance Orchestra) (1999, Blueprint Records) * ''Shadows & Reflections'' (2003, Voiceprint Records) * ''The Bridge'' (the New Dance Orchestra) (2006, Blueprint Records) * ''Electronica'' (New Dance Orchestra ft Anne-Marie Helder) (2010)

Chromium

* ''Star to Star'' (1979)

The Buggles The Buggles were an English new wave band formed in London in 1977 by singer and bassist Trevor Horn and keyboardist Geoff Downes. They are best known for their 1979 debut single "Video Killed the Radio Star", which topped the UK Singles Chart ...

Yes

; Studio albums * ''

'' (1980) * '' Fly from Here'' (2011) * '' Heaven & Earth'' (2014) * '' The Quest'' (2021) ; Live albums * ''

The Word is Live ''The Word is Live'' is a box set by the English progressive rock band Yes, released in August 2005 by Rhino Records. A triple album, the set is compiled of live recordings from radio broadcasts and concert tours between 1970 and 1988, mostly ...

'' (tracks taken from the 1980 tour) (2005) * '' Like It Is: Yes at the Bristol Hippodrome'' (2014) * '' Like It Is: Yes at the Mesa Arts Center'' (2015) * '' Topographic Drama - Live Across America'' (2017) * '' Yes 50 Live'' (2019) * '' The Royal Affair Tour: Live from Las Vegas'' (2020)

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

Trapeze A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or flying, an ...

* '' Welcome to the Real World'' (live, 1993)

With
John Wetton John Kenneth Wetton (12 June 1949 – 31 January 2017) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. Known for his dexterous bass playing and booming baritone voice, Wetton first gained fame in the early 1970s. Wetton was the singer and p ...

; Studio albums * ''Wetton Downes'' (1996, demo) * ''

Wetton Downes ''Wetton/Downes'' (sometimes stylised as ''Wetton-Downes'' or ''Wetton & Downes'', though the album is given no official title) is the first album released by Asia member Geoff Downes and former Asia member John Wetton, and is a precursor to thei ...

'' (2001) (re-released and remastered in 2017 as ''Icon Zero'') * ''

'' (2005) * '' Icon: Heat of the Moment 05'' (2005, EP) * ''Icon II: Rubicon'' (2006) * ''Icon 3'' (2009) ; Live albums * ''Icon Acoustic TV Broadcast'' (2006, Frontiers Records) * ''Icon Live - Never in a Million Years'' (2006, Frontiers Records) * ''Icon: Heat of the Rising Sun'' (2012) * ''Icon: Urban Psalm Live'' (2017)

With Glenn Hughes

* '' The Work Tapes'' (1998, demo)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

* ''White'' (2006)

Downes Braide Association (DBA)

; Studio albums * ''Pictures of You'' (2012) * ''Suburban Ghosts'' (2015) * ''Skyscraper Souls'' (2017) * ''Halcyon Hymns'' (2021) ; Live albums * ''Live in England'' (2019)

Deckchair Poets/Zorbonauts/Zebras Don't Smoke

* Deckchair Poets – ''Who Needs Pyjamas?'' (2013) * Deckchair Poets – ''Searchin' for a Lemon Squeezer'' (2015) * Deckchair Poets – ''A Bit of Pottery'' (2019) * Zorbonauts – ''Tall Tails'' (2019) * Deckchair Poets – ''Always Piste at Christmas'' (2019) * Zorbonauts – ''The Unobserved Beaver'' (2020) * Zebras Don't Smoke – ''Don't Mention the Swedes'' (2020) * Deckchair Poets – ''The Crop Circlers' Guide to Abstract Expressionism'' (2021) * Zorbonauts – ''Armed Slobbery'' (2021) * Deckchair Poets – ''Be My Pillow'' (2022) * Zebras Don't Smoke – ''Inflatable Noise'' (2022)

With
Greg Lake Gregory Stuart Lake (10 November 1947 – 7 December 2016) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock bands King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP). Born and b ...

* ''Ride the Tiger'' (2015)

Other appearances

5000 Volts 5000 Volts is the name of a British disco recording act that achieved success throughout Europe during the 1970s. The group consisted of vocalists Tina Charles and Martin Jay, with a changing group of session musicians. Career They released ...

– ''5000 Volts'' (1976) *

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the ...

– "I Can Breathe Again" / "You Take My Breath Away" (single, 1978) * John Howard – "Don't Shine Your Light" / "Baby Go Now" (double A-side, 1979) *

– ''

The Dreaming The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by his co ...

'' (1982) * Agnetha Faltskog – '' Eyes of a Woman'' (1985) * GTR – '' GTR'' (1986) (producer) *

– "

Nothing in Common ''Nothing in Common'' is a 1986 American comedy-drama film directed by Garry Marshall. It stars Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason in what would be Gleason's final film role; he was suffering from cancer during the production and died less than a yea ...

" (single, 1986) (producer) *

– ''

Islands An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

'' (1987) (co-producer) * Rock Aid Armenia – ''The Earthquake Album'' (1990) * Max Bacon – ''The Higher You Climb'' (1995) * various artists – ''Encores, Legends, and Paradox, A Tribute to the Music of ELP'' (1999) *

– '' Portraits of Bob Dylan'' (1999) * Squeezebox – ''Drowning in Shallow Water'' (2003) * John Wetton – ''Rock of Faith'' (2003) *

Isotope Isotopes are two or more types of atoms that have the same atomic number (number of protons in their nuclei) and position in the periodic table (and hence belong to the same chemical element), and that differ in nucleon numbers ( mass numbers ...

and Gary Boyle – ''Live at the BBC'' (2004), archival release * Starwood – ''If It Ain't Broke, Break It!'' (2004) * Steve Thorne – ''Emotional Creatures: Part One'' (2005) * various artists – ''

Back Against the Wall ''Back Against the Wall'' is an album released in 2005 by Billy Sherwood in collaboration with a number of (mostly) progressive rock artists as a tribute to Pink Floyd's album ''The Wall''. A year later, Sherwood followed it with the release of ...

'' (2005) * various artists – ''

Return to the Dark Side of the Moon ''Return to the Dark Side of the Moon'' (subtitled: ''A Tribute to Pink Floyd'') is a tribute album organised by Billy Sherwood, and released in 2006 on Purple Pyramid. It is a re-creation of Pink Floyd's ''The Dark Side of the Moon'', and a sequ ...

'' (2006) * various artists – ''Led Box: The Ultimate Tribute to Led Zeppelin'' (2008) * various artists – ''Abbey Road: A Tribute to The Beatles'' (2009) * Steve Howe – ''Homebrew 4'' (2009) *

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

– ''Escalator'' (2009) * John Wetton – '' Raised in Captivity'' (2011) *

– '' Made In Basing Street'' (2012) * The Prog Collective – ''The Prog Collective'' (2012) * Nektar – ''A Spoonful of Time'' (2012) * The Prog Collective – ''Epilogue'' (2013) * various artists – '' Light My Fire: A Classic Rock Salute to The Doors'' (2014) *

Billy Idol William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), known professionally as Billy Idol, is a British-American singer, songwriter, and musician. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as the lead singer o ...

– '' Kings & Queens of the Underground'' (2014) * Jerusalem – ''Black Horses'' (2014) * DuskMachine – ''DuskMachine'' (2014) * Billy Sherwood – ''Citizen'' (2015) * Jerusalem – ''Cooler Than Antarctica'' (2016) * various artists – ''Action Moves People United'' (2016) * Chrysta Bell – ''We Dissolve'' (2017) * Sonic Elements – ''Yesterday and Today – A 50th Anniversary Tribute to Yes'' (2018) *

David Cross David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series '' Mr. Show'' (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/Netflix sitco ...

and

Peter Banks Peter William Brockbanks (15 July 1947 – 7 March 2013), known professionally as Peter Banks, was a British guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and producer. He was the original guitarist in the rock band Yes, and also the Syn, Flash, and Empire. ...

– '' Crossover'' (2020) * various artists – ''A Tribute to Keith Emerson & Greg Lake'' (2020) * The Prog Collective – ''Worlds on Hold'' (2020) * various artists – ''Still Wish You Were Here: A Tribute to Pink Floyd'' (2021) * The Prog Collective – ''Songs We were Taught'' (2022)

References

External links

Downes official websiteAsia on Classic Rock Central; 1983 audio interview clips with John Wetton, Geoff Downes and Steve Howe
{{DEFAULTSORT:Downes, Geoff 1952 births Asia (band) members English keyboardists English rock keyboardists English songwriters English new wave musicians English record producers Geffen Records artists Living people People from Stockport Trapeze (band) members Yes (band) members People educated at Stockport Grammar School Keytarists The Buggles members English session musicians Alumni of Leeds College of Music

Early life

Career

Early career, The Buggles, and Yes (1975–1981)

Asia and other projects (1981–2006)

Reformed Asia, projects, and return to Yes (2006–present)

Influences and style

Personal life

Discography

Solo

Chromium

The Buggles The Buggles were an English new wave band formed in London in 1977 by singer and bassist Trevor Horn and keyboardist Geoff Downes. They are best known for their 1979 debut single "Video Killed the Radio Star", which topped the UK Singles Chart ...

Yes

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

Trapeze A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or flying, an ...

With John Wetton John Kenneth Wetton (12 June 1949 – 31 January 2017) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. Known for his dexterous bass playing and booming baritone voice, Wetton first gained fame in the early 1970s. Wetton was the singer and p ...

With Glenn Hughes

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

Downes Braide Association (DBA)

Deckchair Poets/Zorbonauts/Zebras Don't Smoke

With Greg Lake Gregory Stuart Lake (10 November 1947 – 7 December 2016) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock bands King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP). Born and b ...

Other appearances

References

Further reading

External links

With
John Wetton John Kenneth Wetton (12 June 1949 – 31 January 2017) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. Known for his dexterous bass playing and booming baritone voice, Wetton first gained fame in the early 1970s. Wetton was the singer and p ...

With
Greg Lake Gregory Stuart Lake (10 November 1947 – 7 December 2016) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock bands King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP). Born and b ...