Toby Smith
- Funk
- pop
- acid jazz
- soul
- Keyboardist
- songwriter
- music producer
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.
Background and personal life
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 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]
Career
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]
Death
Smith died on 11 April 2017, having been diagnosed with cancer six years earlier.[11] He was 46 years old.[9]
Discography
- Emergency on Planet Earth (1993)
- The Return of the Space Cowboy (1994)
- Travelling Without Moving (1996)
- Synkronized (1999)
- A Funk Odyssey (2001)
References
- ^ "For The Record". MTV. 1 May 2002. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
- ^ "Toby Grafftey-Smith". Thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ "Toby Grafftey-Smith, co-founder of Jamiroquai – obituary". The Telegraph. 29 April 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 2003, vol. 3, p. 3160
- ^ "Sir Laurence Barton Grafftey-Smith - National Portrait Gallery". Npg.org.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 2003, vol. 1, p. 992
- ^ Kay, Jason (March 2013). Emergency On Planet Earth 20th anniversary reissue booklet – Sony Music Entertainment
- ^ "Jay Kay needs new man on (key)board". New Musical Express. 29 April 2002. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
- ^ a b c d Welsh, April Clare (13 April 2017). "Original Jamiroquai keyboard player Toby Smith has died aged 46". Fact. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
- ^ Norway - My Mark. Eurovision 2015 booklet. 2015. p. 27.
- ^ "Toby Grafftey-Smith, co-founder of Jamiroquai – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 29 April 2017. Archived from the original on 30 April 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
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.
- v
- t
- e
- Jay Kay
- Derrick McKenzie
- Sola Akingbola
- Rob Harris
- Paul Turner
- Matt Johnson
- Nate Williams
- Howard Whiddett
- Nick Fyffe
- Simon Katz
- Stuart Zender
- Toby Smith
- Emergency on Planet Earth (1993)
- The Return of the Space Cowboy (1994)
- Travelling Without Moving (1996)
- Synkronized (1999)
- A Funk Odyssey (2001)
- Dynamite (2005)
- Rock Dust Light Star (2010)
- Automaton (2017)
- Jay's Selection (1996)
- In Store Jam (1997)
- 1999 Remixes (1999)
- An Online Odyssey (2001)
- Late Night Tales (2003)
- Multiquai (2006)
- High Times (2006)
- "When You Gonna Learn"
- "Too Young to Die"
- "Blow Your Mind"
- "Emergency on Planet Earth"
- "The Kids"
- "Space Cowboy"
- "Half the Man"
- "Light Years"
- "Stillness in Time"
- "Do U Know Where You're Coming From"
- "Virtual Insanity"
- "Cosmic Girl"
- "Alright"
- "High Times"
- "Deeper Underground"
- "Canned Heat"
- "Supersonic"
- "King for a Day"
- "Black Capricorn Day"
- "I'm in the Mood for Love" (with Jools Holland)
- "Little L"
- "You Give Me Something"
- "Love Foolosophy"
- "Corner of the Earth"
- "Hollywood Swinging" (with Kool & the Gang)
- "Feels Just Like It Should"
- "Seven Days in Sunny June"
- "(Don't) Give Hate a Chance"
- "Runaway"
- "White Knuckle Ride"
- "Blue Skies"
- "Lifeline"
- "Automaton"
- "Cloud 9"
- Live in Verona
- Live at Montreux 2003
- High Times: Singles 1992–2006
- Discography
- Gig in the Sky
- Radio Silence