John Payne is a British musician who was lead singer and bassist of Asia from 1992 to 2006 and from June 2007 with Asia Featuring John Payne. When asked to join Asia by Geoff Downes, he had to learn the bass guitar fast, including all of Asia's hits. While Payne was in the band, they released over 15 albums. He is also a guitarist, composer and record producer. He currently lives in the LA area.

Biography

In 1986, he recorded a silver selling record with the band CCCP in Scandinavia. CCCP was a group that featured John on lead vocals with Johnny Cash's stepdaughter Carlene Carter sharing vocal duties.

He provided backing vocals on several solo albums by Roger Daltrey, including Under a Raging Moon (1985) and Can't Wait to See the Movie (1987).

Payne was considered for a position in ELO Part II on guitar and vocals. For a year prior to joining Asia in 1991, he was chosen to replace Jeff Lynne as the lead vocalist in ELO, later to be named ELO Part II, but left due to protracted negotiations over the name.

Asia

Payne and Geoff Downes continued together as Asia for 15 years, with several line-ups around them, until they stuck with Guthrie Govan (guitar) and Chris Slade (drums) in 1999. This same line-up existed for over five years, until Slade was replaced by Jay Schellen in late 2005.

Recent years

In February 2006, Downes and Payne separated when Downes joined a reunion of the original Asia line-up. Payne, Govan and Schellen formed a new band, GPS, recruiting Ryo Okumoto on keys. In May 2007, Payne formed Asia featuring John Payne. Sony are to release this fall 2007 in the US Extended Versions by Asia featuring John Payne, which was performed, mixed and produced by Payne, with a follow up studio CD, Architect of Time, expected in early 2008. GPS have released one album so far, Window to the Soul.

Payne was inducted in 2007 into David Fishoff's Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp's Hall of Fame. He has also been a judge for the above Fantasy Camp USA Final alongside producer Ron Nevison and performer Spencer Davis. At the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, he presented the 2004 MVPA video awards.

Current activities

Currently, Payne is playing the part of Parson Nathaniel in the touring production of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds.

Shortly to be started in California is Chris Slade's solo album, also featuring members of AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Manfred Mann's Earth Band and The Firm.

A GPS studio album Dreamscape and an Asia featuring John Payne studio album Architect of Time are due, plus a follow-up GPS album in 2008-09.^{[citation needed]}

Speedwell films have asked Payne to score the music for the horror film Black Friday, currently in pre-production in Los Angeles and to be released early 2008.

Other work

Payne sang the Michelob USA nightmoves extensive TV campaign in 1987. He also sang lead vocals on some of Downes' solo projects. Recent guest vocals include "Song for You" by the Swiss rock band Lunatica.

Payne has scored music for the film The Darkness and, with Downes, the salmon documentary for the BBC Prince of Tides.

As a solo artist, Payne sang the title track to the film The American Way. Within Asia, he also sang the lead track "Lay Down Your Arms" on Freddie as FRO7, the UK's largest animation film in 1991.

He has engineered or produced many acts and albums, among them Asia, GPS, The Boys, The Passion and Colin Blunstone. Payne has toured with Kansas, Peter Frampton, Styx, Paul Rodgers, Dio, Uriah Heep, Night Ranger, The Fixx, Berlin, The Outfield, Ted Nugent and David Lee Roth. In the recording studio, Payne has also worked with Mike Oldfield, Simon Phillips and Steve Howe.

Management

He has been managed by Don Arden, Simon Napier-Bell and Bill Curbishley.

Discography

Asia featuring John Payne: Extended Versions

Asia studio albums

• Aqua, 1992
• Aria, 1994
• Arena, 1996
• Archiva 1, 1996
• Archiva 2, 1996
• Rare, 1999
• Aura, 2000
• Silent Nation, 2004

ASIA LIVE
Live at The Town & Country
Live Acoustic
Live in Philadelphia
Live in Osaka
Live in Köln
Live in Helisinki (Scandinavia)

ROGER DALTREY
Under a Raging Moon
Can’t Wait to See the Movie
Martyrs & Madmen
Just a Boy
Gold

GPS
Window to The Soul

JOHN PAYNE
Ride the Storm, film soundtrack
That’s When The Crying Starts
All The Love I’ve Got

MICHELOB
Nightmoves, TV ad

JIM LADD
Lizzy tribute CD

GEOFF DOWNES NDO
Vox Humana
World Service

CCCP
Let’s spend the Night Together

BITE THE BULLET
Bite the Bullet

LUNATICA
Edge of Infinity

External links

• Official website
• Asia featuring John Payne
• Asia featuring John Payne Official MySpace