Toby Smith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Toby Grafftey-Smith |
| Born | 29 October 1970 |
| Origin | London, England |
| Died | 11 April 2017 (aged 46) |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Instrument(s) | Keyboards |
| Years active | 1992–2017 |
| Labels | EMI (1993–2017) |
Toby Grafftey-Smith (29 October 1970 – 11 April 2017), known professionally as Toby Smith, was an English musician, most famous for being the keyboardist and co-songwriter for Jamiroquai [1] from 1992 until his departure in 2002.
Son of John Jeremy ("Jinx") Grafftey-Smith, a merchant banker, and his wife Lucy, Smith was educated at Marlborough College, where he developed his musical skills. [2] [3] His grandfather, Sir Laurence Grafftey-Smith, was a distinguished diplomat who served as High Commissioner for the U.K. in Pakistan from 1947 to 1951 and Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1945 to 1947. [4] [5]
Smith was married to Gabriella, daughter of David Offley Crewe-Read; they had three children. [6]
While Jay Kay was forming Jamiroquai, he was encouraged by his manager to enlist Smith. [7] Having been with the band since 1992, Smith left Jamiroquai on 29 April 2002 during the Funk Odyssey tour due to family commitments. [8]
He was the music producer and manager for the English pop rock band The Hoosiers. [9] Smith produced the 2009 album Caught In The Headlights for the British band Absent Elk. [10] In 2013, he co-produced Matt Cardle's third album, Porcelain , as well as providing writing contributions to several songs. [9]
He owned Angelic Recording Studios based near Banbury. [9]
Smith died on 11 April 2017, having been diagnosed with cancer six years earlier. [11] He was 46 years old. [9]
Jamiroquai are an English funk and acid jazz band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in their early releases and later drew from rock, disco, electronic and Latin music genres. Lyrically, the group has addressed social and environmental justice. Kay has remained as the only original member through several line-up changes.
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Jay Kay is a British funk and alternative rock singer-songwriter. He is best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of the acid jazz and funk band Jamiroquai, which was formed in 1992.
Emergency on Planet Earth is the debut studio album by English funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released on 14 June 1993 under Sony Soho Square. Prior its release, the band debuted in 1992 with "When You Gonna Learn" under Acid Jazz Records, and front-man Jay Kay was given a major-label deal with Sony Music. The album was produced as Kay formed the band and is characterised by its acid jazz foundations, layers of instrumentation and socially charged lyrics.
The Return of the Space Cowboy is the second album by English funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai. The album was released on 17 October 1994 under Sony Soho Square. The album continues the musical direction of their debut, Emergency on Planet Earth (1993), and is characterised by its complex songwriting as a result of Jay Kay's creative block mid-production. Its lyrics addressed street life, hope, loss and Kay's drug use, and social matters regarding Native Americans and youth protests.
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Matt Johnson is a British keyboardist who plays for the funk and jazz band Jamiroquai.
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Henry Oliver Charles FitzRoy, 12th Duke of Grafton, known as Harry Grafton, is an English peer and music promoter. He inherited the Dukedom of Grafton from his grandfather, Hugh FitzRoy, 11th Duke of Grafton, on 7 April 2011. He is also a direct male-line descendant of Charles II of England.
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Sir Laurence Barton Grafftey-Smith was a member of the British Consular Service from 1916 to 1947.
Grafftey-Smith, who faced a diagnosis of cancer six years ago with defiant nonchalance, is survived by his wife, Gabriella, and their three children Anastasia, Dylan and Rose.
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