My Take
Geoff Downes is one of those musicians who keeps showing up at the center of history, and I mean that in the best possible way. He co-wrote and performed "Video Killed the Radio Star" with the Buggles — the very first video ever played on MTV — which alone would be enough to cement his legacy. But then he went and joined Yes at their commercial peak, played on Drama, and somehow topped that by co-founding Asia, whose self-titled 1982 debut spent nine weeks at number one and produced "Heat of the Moment," one of the defining anthems of the decade. Decades later he's still the keyboardist holding Asia together, touring and recording well into the 2010s and beyond. The man has an uncanny nose for the right band at the right moment, and his synth work is unmistakably lush and melodic — pure early-'80s grandeur that never gets old.
Overview
Geoffrey Downes (born 25 August 1952) 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. Born in Stockport, Downes moved to London to pursue a music career.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Geoff Downes
- Name (Japanese)
- ジェフ・ダウンズ
- Reading
- じぇふ・だうんず
- Born
- August 25, 1952 (age 73)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Dragon
- Origin
- Stockport, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- record producer / keyboardist / songwriter / musician / rock musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Order of the Badge of Honour
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.