Trevor Horn

Born in Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham, and raised in Durham, Trevor Horn first trained as a bassist before becoming one of the most identifiable British producers of 1980s pop. His career moved through session musician work in the 1970s, then The Buggles with Geoff Downes, a new wave and synth-pop duo responsible for 'Video Killed the Radio Star' in 1979. In 1980, Trevor Horn joined Yes as lead singer for the album Drama, before dedicating himself mainly to production. His aesthetic combines pop writing, a sense of melody, sophisticated arrangements, and a marked use of electronic textures, disco, new wave, and a highly constructed studio pop. From the early 1980s, Trevor Horn produced ABC on The Lexicon of Love (1982), Malcolm McLaren on Duck Rock (1983), Yes on 90125 (1983), and then helped found ZTT Records with Jill Sinclair and Paul Morley. He also co-founded Art of Noise, another facet of his work, more experimental and focused on electronic forms. Subsequently, Horn collaborated with Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Grace Jones, Pet Shop Boys, Seal, Mike Oldfield, Belle and Sebastian, t.A.T.u., and Robbie Williams, while continuing performing live with The Trevor Horn Band. Under his name later appeared Reimagines the Eighties (2019) and Echoes: Ancient & Modern (2023).