Robert France (5 December 1959 – 14 January 2012) was an English drummer, record producer, arranger, journalist, music educator, and broadcaster.
[citation needed] While living and travelling in Australia, France formed the jazz-fusion group, Carnival, performed at the Oz Jazz Festival, and supported John McLaughlin.
France performed at the first triple headliner drum clinic with Simon Phillips & Steve White, worked with Motown UK's C.E.O., 'Ivan Chandler's All Star Quintet' alongside Andy Hamilton.
[citation needed] It was around this time that France was asked to fill in for drummer Frank Tontoh with jazz saxophonist Jean Toussaint.
Meeting up to open a venue called The Soho Jazz Shack, Jean asked France to play with him on a more permanent basis, as he (Toussaint) had a regular slot at the Dingwalls club in Camden Town on Sunday afternoons.
[citation needed] In 1991, after working with Simon Ellis (East 17, D:Ream, S Club 7) and others, on the set pieces for his drum clinics, France returned to Australia to form a solo jazz project, The Gab.
Based loosely as a tribute to the jazz greats Elvin Jones and John Coltrane, their first album was recorded at EMI Studios 301 in July 1993.
[citation needed] In 1994, he returned to London, ostensibly to promote the solo project where he became a founder member of Skunk Anansie and recorded and co-produced their debut album Paranoid & Sunburnt.
[citation needed] France broadcast for a number of different radio stations in Spain over the last decade including Costa Calida International and TKO Gold.