Jonathan Noyce, born July 15, 1971, in Sutton Coldfield, England, grew up immersed in music, with his father, Peter, serving as Assistant Organist and Choirmaster at Lichfield Cathedral, and his mother, Jane, a town planner. Surrounded by choral, organ, and orchestral music, Noyce moved to London in 1990 to study at the Royal Academy of Music, initially passing the entry exam with classical percussion before switching to a four-year course in bass guitar, focusing on jazz and commercial music. In 1995, he worked with Martin Barre on his solo album The Meeting and with Ian Anderson on Divinities: Twelve Dances with God. When Jethro Tull’s bassist Dave Pegg retired in 1995 to focus on Fairport Convention, Noyce was chosen as his successor, becoming a key member of Tull until 2007.

With Jethro Tull, Noyce contributed to albums including Roots to Branches (1995), Jethro Tull In Concert (1995), J-Tull Dot Com (1999), Living with the Past (2002), The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (2003), and Aqualung Live (2005), bringing a versatile and polished bass style to the band’s progressive sound. Beyond Tull, Noyce had a significant collaboration with guitarist Gary Moore, playing on Old New Ballads Blues (2006), the One Night in Dublin DVD (2006) commemorating Phil Lynott, and Moore’s final show, Live at Montreux 2010. Their promising Celtic-rock project ended abruptly with Moore’s death in February 2011. Noyce also joined The Divine Comedy for European dates in 2006, performed with Rick Wakeman for the 2009 The Six Wives of Henry VIII Live at Hampton Court Palace release, and provided bass for Mylène Farmer’s Bleu Noir (2010), a major commercial success. He played at Love Amongst Ruin’s debut gig at the 2010 Eurosonic Festival and joined the UK band Archive in 2007, contributing to albums like Live at the Zenith (2007), Controlling Crowds (2009), Controlling Crowds Part IV (2009), and With Us Until You’re Dead (2012).

In 2012, Noyce reunited with Martin Barre for European shows with Martin Barre’s New Day, performing classic Tull material, and continued touring with Archive in 2013. Based in London, he remains active as a session bassist, using an array of instruments including a 1960 Fender Precision Bass, Yamaha basses, and Wal custom basses, paired with SWR amplification and D’Addario strings. Known for his technical prowess and adaptability across genres—from progressive rock to jazz, blues, and pop—Noyce continues to contribute to recordings and live performances, maintaining a vibrant career in the music industry.