GPS is a progressive rock group formed in 2006 by John Payne (vocals, bass, guitar), Guthrie Govan (guitars) and Jay Schellen (drums, percussion).
 These three had been working together in Asia, specifically on an album to have been called "Architect of Time", when the fourth member of Asia, Geoff Downes, joined a reunion of the band's classic line-up, dissolving the then current line-up.
 Payne, Govan and Schellen announced the formation of a new band in February 2006 to be called One.
 However, after discovering another rock act with the same name, the band changed its name to GPS, from the initials of the three founders.
Asia Featuring John Payne are a rock group formed in 2007 following a schism in the line-up of Asia.
 The band are a continuation of singer and bassist John Payne's career as the band's frontman, which lasted from 1991 until 2006, when Asia's original 1982 lineup reunited.
Qango were a short-lived progressive rock band, a spin-off from Asia.
 In 1999, an attempt was made at a partial reunion of the progressive rock supergroup Asia involving John Wetton (bass, vocals), Carl Palmer (drums) and Geoff Downes (keys), with David Kilminster to be on guitar.
 However, Downes withdrew from plans, choosing to stick with John Payne in their Asia line-up.
 Wetton and Palmer instead formed Qango with Kilminster and John Young on keys (who had briefly replaced Downes in Asia in 1989).
 The band's live set was based on songs by Asia and Palmer's former band Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) were an English progressive rock supergroup formed in London in 1970.
 The band consisted of keyboardist Keith Emerson, singer, bassist and producer Greg Lake and drummer and percussionist Carl Palmer.
 With nine RIAA-certified gold record albums in the US, and an estimated 48 million records sold worldwide, they were one of the most popular and commercially successful progressive rock bands in the 1970s, with a musical sound including adaptations of classical music with jazz and symphonic rock elements, dominated by Emerson's flamboyant use of the Hammond organ, Moog synthesizer, and piano (although Lake wrote several acoustic songs for the group).
Extended Versions is a live album by the English-American progressive rock band Asia Featuring John Payne.
 It was released on September 25, 2007 in North America only.
 It was released on iTunes US and rest of the world as Scandinavia.
 It is the first release to use the name Asia featuring John Payne, a spinoff featuring the longtime Asia frontman formed after Downes's return to the original lineup.
 This is the last live recording with the pair before their split in early 2006.
 The album was rereleased in 2012 in Japan as Risen Sun.
Jeffrey "Jeff" Kollman is an American guitar player from Toledo, Ohio, best known for his work with Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats, Glenn Hughes, UFO offshoot Mogg/Way, progressive rock trio, Cosmosquad, and his 90's progressive metal band, Edwin Dare.
 He has worked extensively with contemporary jazz keyboardist Lao Tizer, toured with Japanese superstar Eikichi Yazawa, the Alan Parsons Live Project, former Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach, the Michael Schenker Group and UFO, gigged with bassist/vocalist Marco Mendoza and the Danny Seraphine led CTA (California Transit Authority), and is currently a member of Asia feat.
 John Payne and blues rockers Bleeding Harp.
Asia are an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1981.
 The most commercially successful line-up was its original, which was a supergroup of four members of different progressive rock bands of the 1970s, including lead vocalist and bassist John Wetton of King Crimson, guitarist Steve Howe of Yes, keyboardist Geoff Downes of Yes and The Buggles, and drummer Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
 Their debut album, "Asia", released in 1982, remains their best selling album and went to number one in several countries.
Adolf "Dado" Topić (born 4 September 1949, Siverić) is a rock musician from Croatia and the former Yugoslavia.
 He was the lead singer and founder of Time, a 1970s progressive rock band.
 From 1970 to late 1971, he was also the lead singer of the popular prog-rock band Korni Grupa (also known as The Kornelyans).
 He is a rock musician from Croatia and the former Yugoslavia.
 He was the lead singer and founder of Time, a 1970s progressive rock band.
 From 1970 to late 1971, he was also the lead singer of the popular prog-rock band Korni Grupa (also known as The Kornelyans).
 He is a male vocalist who sang the entry from Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, together with the band Dragonfly.
John Payne (born 29 September 1958) is a British musician, best known as the lead singer and bassist of Asia from 1992 to 2006 and, from June 2007, with Asia Featuring John Payne.
Irritant were an English progressive rock / heavy metal band from Gloucester, formed in 2002.
 They originally described themselves as an "independent hard rock band", and flirted with rap, but developed a blend of progressive metal and hard rock.
 They cited among their influences Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, Rush, Avenged Sevenfold, Guns 'n' Roses, AFI, 80s metal and late 60s progressive rock.

Question:  John Payne was best known as the lead singer and bassist of an English progressive rock band formed in what year?
Answer: 1981