Tony Lewis (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Lewis
Lewis performing in 1986
Background information
Born	(1957-12-21)21 December 1957 London, England
Died	19 October 2020(2020-10-19) (aged 62) London, England
Genres	Pop rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, bass guitar
Years active	1984–2020

Tony Lewis (born December 21, 1957 – died October 19, 2020) was an English singer and musician. He was best known as the lead singer and bass player for the pop-rock band The Outfield. Their most famous song was "Your Love". After a long career with the band, Tony started a solo career. He released his first solo album, Out of the Darkness, in 2018.

Tony Lewis's Early Life

Tony Lewis was born in London, England, on December 21, 1957. He grew up in a working-class area. Music was very important to him from a young age. His home always had music playing, and he loved songs from the 1960s.

When Tony was nine, he first heard The Beatles. He immediately loved the British rock band. Later, he became a big fan of T. Rex, David Bowie, and The Rolling Stones. These were all popular glam rock bands in the 1970s.

In high school, Tony started his first band with his friend Alan Jackman. Tony played the bass guitar, and Alan played the drums.

A few years later, they met guitar player John Spinks. They formed a progressive rock band called Sirius B. But in the mid-1970s, punk rock became very popular in London. Progressive music was not as popular anymore, so Sirius B broke up. Tony then played music on his own in different bands and clubs around London. He often sang the main vocals.

Forming The Outfield

Tony was playing music in London when John Spinks met him again. John heard Tony sing and wanted to start a band together once more. They joined up with Alan Jackman again. This time, they called their band the Baseball Boys.

They toured around the UK, making their power-pop sound even better. People started saying their music sounded "American." After recording some demo songs, they got a big chance. They signed with an American management company. The new manager suggested they change their name to The Outfield. He also helped them get a record deal. The Outfield released their first album, Play Deep, in 1985.

Play Deep sold many copies and became a multi-platinum album. It reached the Top 10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 200 chart. Their song "Your Love" became a huge hit. It reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The Outfield traveled a lot to perform concerts. They released their second album, Bangin, in 1987. Their third album, Voices of Babylon, came out in 1989. The band continued to tour across the United States throughout the late 1980s.

After Voices of Babylon was released, the drummer Alan Jackman left the band. But Tony Lewis kept working with John Spinks and other drummers. They continued to record music as The Outfield. They released albums regularly, including:

• Voices of Babylon (1989)
• Diamond Days (1990)
• Rockeye (1992)
• Anytime Now (2006)
• Replay (2011)

Later Years and Solo Music

In 2014, John Spinks passed away from liver cancer. He was 60 years old. Tony Lewis was very sad about losing his friend and music partner. He decided to take a break from music for two years.

His wife, Carol, encouraged him to start making music again. She knew it was what he loved and what made him feel good. Tony went back to making solo music. He looked at old song ideas and worked with backing tracks. He soon found out that his wife Carol was also good at writing song lyrics!

Tony and Carol worked together on new songs. Their music still had the feel of The Outfield, but it also showed Tony's own style. In October 2017, Tony signed with Madison Records. He released a new album called Out of the Darkness. The first song from the album was "Into the Light." On this album, Tony played all the instruments himself. He also produced and recorded everything.

Tony Lewis's Death

Tony Lewis passed away on October 19, 2020. He was 62 years old. He died at his home near London.