Chris Lowe

Christopher Sean Lowe (born 4 October 1959) is an English musician and songwriter who formed the synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys with Neil Tennant. He is primarily the keyboardist and occasionally a vocalist, and he is the co-author of the catalogue of Pet Shop Boys songs. Lowe is known for his impassive stage persona, standing still behind a keyboard, wearing a hat and dark glasses. Growing up in a musical environment in Blackpool with a grandfather who was a professional trombonist, Lowe learned trombone and piano and performed in several orchestras and bands in his youth. At dance clubs in the late 1970s, his taste in music became focused on disco. In 1981, he met Tennant while working in London, and the pair began writing songs together, influenced by Lowe's passion for electronic dance music. Lowe planned to become an architect, and he earned a BA and a BArch at the University of Liverpool before quitting the course to embark on a music career in 1985. Lowe's ear for music trends has been a factor in the duo's success. Pet Shop Boys had 31 top-10 entries on Billboard magazine's Dance Club Songs chart—the most of any duo or group—and they are the most successful duo in UK music history, with 44 top 40 hits. As a member of Pet Shop Boys, Lowe has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to music by both the Ivor Novello Awards and the Brit Awards.