Peter Gabriel

He is one of the few artists who has not only changed with the times, but has blazed new trails every step of the way during his over-thirty-year career. His metamorphosis from eccentric, theatrical frontman to astute pop artist to world-music enthusiast marks one of the most impressive evolutions in rock history. Gabriel’s career launched at England’s tony Charterhouse school, where he started out as a drummer in rock and soul bands. In 1966, he formed a songwriters collective with fellow classmates Tony Banks, Michael Rutherford, and Anthony Phillips. Initially dubbed the Garden Wall, the four lads went on to make up the core of the art-rock band Genesis. By 1968, their first single, “The Silent Sun,” was receiving airplay, and on the strength of its success, the band signed with Decca Records in the U.K. March of 1969 witnessed the release of the group’s first album, From Genesis to Revelation, which featured Gabriel on flute and lead vocals. Turning down a place in film school to follow his promising musical aspirations, Gabriel focused his efforts on promoting the band.

As Genesis rose to worldwide prominence, Gabriel became the focal point as lead singer, composer, lyricist, and visionary. In 1975, just as Genesis seemed to be entering the elite pantheon of seventies arena-rock groups, Gabriel withdrew from the band to pursue other interests. His eponymous debut solo album, released in 1977, featured a number of U.S. session heavies, including keyboardist Larry Fast and bassist Tony Levin. Peter Gabriel (his first four solo albums all answered to the same name) made a splash in the U.K., but went virtually unnoticed in the States. Also referred to as “Rainy Windshield” or “Car” because of its cover design, the album generated a British hit in “Solsbury Hill,” which he had written as a symbol of hope for his post-Genesis career. Gabriel founded WOMAD (World of Music, Arts, and Dance), a festival that brings together musicians from around the world to promote the arts from both traditional and contemporary cultures with performances, educational projects, and records.

Between 1986 and 1988 he launched his own world-music record label and space-age studio, both named Real World and located in a converted mill at Box.

Though five years have now passed since Gabriel’s last studio album, he has been a busy man. Each year, he hosts musicians from around the globe at his studios in Box for seven days of creative synergy known as Real World Recording Week. And on top of that, he’s a highly active contributor to a number of humanitarian organisations. In 1992, he co-founded the Witness Program, an international human-rights organization that arms advocates in Third World countries with camcorders, fax machines, and other technology to help abuse documentation. His most recent release came in the form of a CD-ROM titled Eve, which allows users to mix and create their own versions of his songs.