Keith Forsey

Keith Forsey (born 2 January 1948) is an English soundtrack composer,^[1] drummer, songwriter and record producer.

Career

Forsey began his career as a percussionist in the early seventies. By the time the late seventies came around Keith was a pioneer of disco, working with artists such as Lipstique, Claudja Barry and Boney M. Keith became legendary disco producer Giorgio Moroder's drummer and appeared on Donna Summer's groundbreaking club records, including the 1979 classic Bad Girls. Keith's own band, Trax, however, was not as popular. Forsey was obviously being influenced by Moroder and began experimenting with electronics and European dance rhythms. Like Moroder, Keith started producing albums himself, and in 1982 produced Billy Idol's self-titled solo debut, Billy Idol. Idol's 1983 follow-up, Rebel Yell, went even further, combining Forsey's affection for synthesized pop, Idol's punk grit and guitarist Steve Stevens' heavy metal sound. 1983 was the year that established Forsey as a producer. Keith co-wrote "Flashdance... What a Feeling" with Moroder and Irene Cara, who also performed the track, for the movie Flashdance. In 1984, the song earned him an Academy Award. The popularity of Flashdance led to his (co-)writing songs featured on the soundtracks of Ghostbusters, Beverly Hills Cop and The Breakfast Club. The song "Don't You (Forget About Me)", from The Breakfast Club, was originally intended for Billy Idol, who declined. It was instead recorded by the Simple Minds in 1985 and topped charts in several countries. In 2003, Forsey produced the guitar pop band Rooney. 2005 saw his return to Billy Idol, producing Devil's Playground.^[2]

References

External links

• Keith Forsey at the Internet Movie Database
• Keith Forsey discography at Discogs
• Keith Forsey at Keith Forsey website