Tony Banks (GB)

About

Also known as: Anthony Banks, Anthony George Banks, トニー・バンクス

Tony Banks is best known as the keyboardist and founding member of Genesis, the band he helped shape from a Charterhouse school group into one of progressive rock's defining acts. His keyboard work, from the piano intro of "Firth of Fifth" to the sprawling instrumental passages in "The Cinema Show" and "Supper's Ready", gave Genesis much of its signature sound. Along the way he became a go to user of the Hammond T 102 organ, Mellotron, and ARP Pro Soloist, and he penned some of the band's most enduring moments, including the ballad "Afterglow" and the minor hit "Many Too Many". In 2015 he was named Prog God at the Progressive Music Awards. Beyond Genesis, Banks has carved out a substantial solo career across six studio albums, ranging from progressive rock to pop to orchestral classical music. His orchestral suite releases, including Seven, Six, and the 2018 album Five, show a composer who keeps pushing into new territory rather than coasting on legacy. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a Genesis member in 2010 and landed on MusicRadar's list of the 27 greatest keyboard players the following year.