Peter Banks
Great BritainPeter Banks: A Talented Musician and Former Member of Yes
Peter Banks, whose real name is Peter William Brockbanks, was born on April 8, 1947, in London. As a young boy, Peter received an acoustic guitar as a gift and slowly began learning to play. He soon mastered the banjo as well. In 1966, Banks shortened his surname to Banks and, along with his friend Chris Squire, decided to form the rock band The Syn, which included guitarist Clive Bailey and keyboardist Andrew Jackman. The band existed until 1967 and even released two popular singles.
In 1968, Peter Banks joined the band Neat Change and later collaborated with several other groups until he joined Yes in 1969. It was Banks who came up with the name for the band. Shortly after, the band released their debut album, also titled "Yes." They went on to release several more albums. In April 1970, Peter Banks performed with Yes for the last time at The Luton College of Technology. Many cited internal disagreements within Yes as the reason for Banks' departure. Despite parting ways with the band, Peter maintained friendly relations with the other musicians.
In 1971, Peter Banks formed the group Flash and released their self-titled debut album. The following year, they released their second album, "In the Can," and in 1973, their third album, "Out of Our Hands," delighted fans.
A significant part of Peter's life was his relationship with singer Sydney Foxx. The musician fell in love with her and later married her (the couple lived together for some time before eventually parting ways). This happened at the time when Peter conceived the idea of creating a new version of his previous band, Flash. The new project was named Empire and released three albums, which came out in the mid-1990s.
In the late 1990s, Peter Banks married again. He met a Peruvian woman online and befriended her. The couple got married in Lima, where the wife's parents still reside. Currently, the couple is happily living in London, where Peter continues to work actively.
