Where was Genesis founded?

Genesis was founded in Surrey, England, at Charterhouse School in Godalming in 1967. Several of the band’s original members were pupils there, and the school provided the setting where their early musical collaboration began.

The group grew out of two school bands, Anon and Garden Wall. The initial lineup included Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel, Anthony Phillips, Mike Rutherford, and Chris Stewart. Former Charterhouse pupil Jonathan King helped the teenagers secure recording opportunities and suggested the name Genesis.

Surrey identifies the county where the band was formed, while Godalming is the more precise town-level answer. Genesis later became one of Britain’s most influential progressive-rock groups, with Peter Gabriel as its early frontman and Phil Collins eventually becoming its lead singer. Their origins at a private school are sometimes overlooked because the band later became closely associated with London’s music scene.