Robin Lumley


Robin Lumley is a British jazz fusion musician, keyboardist, record producer, and author who was a member of the band Brand X with drummer Phil Collins, guitarist John Goodsall, and bassist Percy Jones. He is a second cousin of the actress Joanna Lumley.

Career

Lumley started playing drums in a student band at college. The band reached the finals of the Melody Maker talent contest in the early 1970s, after which he switched to keyboards.
He received a degree in Television Studies from Exeter University, then moved to London and did odd jobs while trying to get into the music business. One day he received a phone call from David Bowie, a former neighbour, looking for someone to replace his ill keyboard player. Lumley accepted the job and toured as a member of Bowie's band. He met Jack Lancaster and starting doing session work recording for others. Among the musicians he encountered was Phil Collins of Genesis, with whom he founded Brand X and got interested in producing. From 1974 to 1983, he was the keyboardist for Brand X. He took leave from the band in 1978 to concentrate on his career as a record producer but returned for the band's final albums and tours. He also produced albums for Rod Argent, Bill Bruford, and Orleans.
In the 1980s, he formed a jazz-rock band that included Rod Argent, Graeme Edge, Morris Pert, and Gary Brooker. In 1991 he married Debra Allanson, a media executive and television presenter from Perth, Australia. In 2000 he produced a set of instruction videos with Roland Corporation on keyboard technique. In 2001 he formed the band SETI with Graeme Edge, bassist Rob Burns, and Rod McGrath.
Lumley wrote the book Tay Bridge Disaster: The People's Story about the collapse of the Tay Bridge in 1879 while a train was attempting to cross it. The train was headed to Dundee, Scotland. Lumley was born in Fife, and his great-grandfather had intended to board the train.

Discography

As leader

With Brand X