In the beginning, Genesis was formed by Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks, students at Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey. They were christened Genesis by record mogul Jonathan King who saw them playing at Charterhouse and signed them to Decca Records, releasing their first album 'From Genesis to Revelation' in 1969. Although the album failed to chart in the UK, the experience that the band got from making and promoting the record gave them the will to continue and improve.
Further albums of the 1970s included 'Trespass', 'Nursery Cryme', 'Foxtrot', the number three album 'Selling England By the Pound' and 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway' which reached number ten. After these releases, Gabriel decided to try his hand at solo material and in 1975 drummer Phil Collins took on the mantle of front man. Their 1976 album 'Trick of the Tail' made it to number three followed by 'Wind & Wuthering' later the same year. Their first number one album came in 1978 with 'Duke', featuring the top ten single 'Turn It On Again'. This was followed up by a further four number one albums - 'Abacab', 'Genesis', 'Invisible Touch' and 'We Can't Dance' - the latter featuring some of their best selling singles 'No Son of Mine', 'Jesus He Knows Me' and 'Never a Time'. Their last studio album, 'Calling All Stations', was released in 1997 and earned the band a number two position.
Along the way there were various line-up changes, but their dramatic, progressive rock style and the colourful personalities of the band won them a big following. In 2006 Collins, Rutherford and Banks announced a reunion tour which saw them travel throughout Europe and the USA into the following year. In 2014 a BBC documentary titled 'Genesis: Together and Apart' followed the band and its members through their lengthy career, and featured interviews with Gabriel, Collins, Rutherford, Banks and Steve Hackett.
Artist biography compiled by BDS/West 10. All rights reserved
