Gilson Lavis was born in Bedford on 27th June 1951. His career has spanned four decades where has played with a myriad of people from the entertainment industry. He is one of Britain's most experienced and versatile drummers still performing and touring Britain and Europe on a full time basis. Besides drums and percussion, he has in the past worked as a singer, a guitarist and a male model.

Mainly known for his unusual portraits of music legends and performers, much of his inspiration as an artist came out of genuine respect for many of the talented people he has admired, known and played with over the years, which reads like a “Who’s Who” of popular music. As most people know, Gilson was a founding member and original drummer in the group Squeeze, along with pianist Holland. Squeeze achieved huge success all though the 1980’s and Gilson later went on to perform live or record with the likes of Eric Clapton, Smokey Robinson and Amy Winehouse and many others.

As he explains, “My portraits feature artists and performers I have had the joy of working with and have been of inspiration to me. My art is a painted biography of my musical life, one I can never hope to finish, but what a joy it is to engage in.