Bill Bruford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bill Bruford
Bruford performing in 2008
Background information
Birth name	William Scott Bruford
Born	(1949-05-17) 17 May 1949 (age 76) Sevenoaks, Kent, England
Genres	Progressive rock instrumental rock jazz
Occupations	Musician songwriter producer record label owner musicologist
Instruments	Drums percussion
Years active	1967–2009 2022–present
Labels	Polydor E.G. Voiceprint Winterfold Summerfold

William Scott Bruford (born 17 May 1949) is a famous English drummer and percussionist. He first became well-known as a founding member of the progressive rock band Yes.

After leaving Yes in 1972, Bruford played with many other bands. These included King Crimson (1972–1974), Roy Harper (1975), and U.K. (1978). He also toured with Genesis in 1976. In 1978, he started his own band called Bruford, which played music until 1980.

In the 1980s, Bruford rejoined King Crimson for three years (1981–1984). He also worked with other artists like Patrick Moraz and David Torn. In 1986, he formed his own jazz band called Earthworks. Later, he played with his old Yes bandmates in Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe. This led to a short return to Yes. Bruford played in King Crimson again from 1994 to 1997. After that, he continued with a new version of Earthworks.

In 2009, Bruford announced he was stopping professional drumming. He then focused on other projects. He ran his two record labels, Summerfold and Winterfold. He also wrote an autobiography and spoke about music. In 2016, Bruford earned a PhD in Music from the University of Surrey. That same year, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him No. 16 on their list of the "100 Greatest Drummers of All Time". In 2017, Bruford was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Yes. In 2022, after 13 years, he started performing live again with the Pete Roth Trio.

Bill Bruford's Early Life

Bruford was born on 17 May 1949, in Sevenoaks, Kent, England. He was the third child of Betty and John Bruford. His father was a veterinary surgeon. He has an older brother, John, and a sister, Jane.

He went to New Beacon School in Sevenoaks and then to Tonbridge School, a boarding school. Bruford decided to play drums at age thirteen. He was inspired by American jazz drummers he saw on the BBC2 TV show Jazz 625. He practiced in his attic. He looked up to drummers like Max Roach, Joe Morello, Art Blakey, and Ginger Baker. His sister gave him drum brushes for his birthday. He practiced with them on album covers, making a sound like a snare drum. He started with just a snare drum and slowly built a full drum kit. He also took some lessons from Lou Pocock, who played in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

At boarding school, Bruford made friends with other jazz fans. One of them was a drummer who taught him about improvising. In 1966 and 1967, Bruford played in a band called The Breed. After school, he took a year off before planning to study economics at Leeds University. In January 1968, he tried out for the band Savoy Brown but didn't get in. He then played briefly with a psychedelic rock band called Paper Blitz Tissue. Later, he saw an ad from a band called The Noise looking for a drummer for a six-week show in Rome, Italy. He found the experience "ghastly" and had to hitchhike back to London with his drums.

Bill Bruford's Music Career

Joining Yes and King Crimson

After returning to London, 19-year-old Bruford put an ad in Melody Maker for drumming work. Jon Anderson, the singer from Mabel Greer's Toyshop, saw it. His band, with bassist Chris Squire and guitarist Clive Bayley, needed a new drummer. Bruford met them on 7 June 1968. Anderson was so impressed that he asked Bruford to play with them that night. They only knew one song, "In the Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett, but Bruford liked their singing. He had other offers, but chose to stay with Anderson and Squire. They formed a new band. Peter Banks joined on guitar, Tony Kaye on keyboards, and they changed their name to Yes.

Bruford played on Yes's first five studio albums: Yes (1969), Time and a Word (1970), The Yes Album (1971), Fragile (1971), and Close to the Edge (1972). He helped write five songs, including "Yours Is No Disgrace" and "Heart of the Sunrise". He wanted his drums to be heard, so he created a style with "unusual beat placement" and different time signatures. He learned a lot about music during this time. Bruford remembered that Yes members often argued, which was a reason for him leaving.

In July 1972, after recording Close to the Edge, Bruford left Yes to join King Crimson. He said King Crimson was a band where he could play complex rhythms and still stay in nice hotels. Rehearsals began in September 1972, followed by a big tour in the UK. He was good at remembering difficult drum parts. Bruford played on King Crimson albums like Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973) and Red (1974). Robert Fripp ended King Crimson in September 1974.

New Bands and Solo Work

After King Crimson, Bruford felt unsure what to do next. In late 1974, he briefly joined the band Gong for a European tour. He then worked as a session musician, playing drums for other artists. In 1975, Bruford played on albums by Chris Squire, Roy Harper, and Pavlov's Dog. He also played percussion for the jazz fusion band Brand X, which included Phil Collins on drums. Bruford then played some live shows with National Health, but didn't join full-time.

In mid-1976, Bruford tried to form a band in the US, but it didn't work out. From March to July 1976, Bruford toured with Genesis on their 1976 tour. This was their first tour after singer Peter Gabriel left, and drummer Phil Collins took over lead vocals. Bruford knew Collins and offered to play drums until Genesis found a permanent replacement. Bruford is featured on the Genesis: In Concert film and live albums like Seconds Out (1977). In late 1976, Bruford was part of a rock trio with Rick Wakeman and John Wetton, but it quickly broke up. Bruford then rejoined National Health for a short time.

In 1977, Bruford recorded his first solo album, Feels Good to Me (1978). He worked with Dave Stewart (keyboards), Jeff Berlin (bass), and Allan Holdsworth (guitar). This was his first big attempt at songwriting. The four musicians then formed a full-time band called Bruford. Later in 1978, Bruford joined John Wetton to form the progressive rock group U.K.. After their first album, U.K. (1978), Holdsworth and Bruford left because they disagreed on the band's music style. Bruford then released One of a Kind (1979) with his own band. Their last album, Gradually Going Tornado (1980), featured backing vocals from Barbara Gaskin and Amanda Parsons.

Exploring New Sounds

In 1981, Bruford returned to King Crimson with a new lineup. They recorded Discipline (1981), Beat (1982), and Three of a Perfect Pair (1984). Bruford used both acoustic drums and Simmons electronic drums. He liked the electronic drums because they let him play programmed sounds and effects, which gave him more musical options. In 1984, Fripp ended the group again. Bruford said the live album Absent Lovers: Live in Montreal (1998) was one of the best rock albums he played on.

In 1983, Bruford formed a duo with Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz, who was also a former Yes member. They lived close to each other in Surrey. This project helped Bruford enjoy improvising more. As Moraz/Bruford, they released Music for Piano and Drums (1983) and Flags (1985). These albums were recorded with acoustic instruments. They also played live shows, including a tour in Japan. In 1985, Jimmy Page asked Bruford to be the drummer for his new band, The Firm. Bruford said they rehearsed briefly but decided they weren't a good fit.

In 1986, Bruford formed his jazz group Earthworks. He started using the Simmons kit again because the technology had improved. The band toured clubs in the US in 1987.

Bruford paused Earthworks in late 1988 when Jon Anderson asked him to play on a new album. This album also featured former Yes members Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe. Bruford thought it was an Anderson solo album, but the four formed a group called Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (ABWH). Bruford later said that ABWH was mostly a business deal so he could fund Earthworks. He liked the idea of recording in Montserrat and convinced Anderson to have Tony Levin play bass. Their album, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (1989), was followed by a world tour. In 1990, ABWH joined with Yes to form an eight-member band. The album Union (1991) was criticized by almost everyone in the band; Bruford called it "the worst record I've ever been on". He went on the Union Tour in 1991 and 1992. He enjoyed the big crowds but found the experience "pretty horrible". After the tour, Bruford and Howe worked on an orchestral project that remade Yes songs with an orchestra, called Symphonic Music of Yes (1993).

Bruford restarted Earthworks in January 1991, and they released a studio and a live album. After one member left, Bruford ended the group in 1993. In the early 1990s, Bruford also became a drum clinician, teaching small groups at universities.

Later Career and Retirement

Bruford at the Moers Festival in Germany, 2004

King Crimson started up again in 1994 as a six-person band. It included the 1980s lineup plus Pat Mastelotto sharing drumming duties with Bruford, and Trey Gunn on Chapman Stick. This group released Vrooom (1994) and Thrak (1995). Bruford then left King Crimson, mainly because he was frustrated with rehearsals that didn't lead to new music. This was also the end of Bruford using electronic drums because they were too expensive and hard to program.

After King Crimson, Bruford focused on acoustic jazz. In 1997, he formed a new version of Earthworks. This group helped British musicians get experience playing internationally. The band had different members over time but kept a consistent jazz style, focusing on Bruford's songs. In 2005, Earthworks briefly joined with another group to form the Earthworks Underground Orchestra.

During his last years with Earthworks, Bruford worked with other musicians. These included Eddie Gomez and Ralph Towner in 1997, the jazz-rock band Bruford Levin Upper Extremities in 1998, and a duo with Dutch pianist Michiel Borstlap from 2002 to 2007. In 2003, Bruford started two record labels: Winterfold Records for his rock music, and Summerfold Records for his jazz music.

Bruford's last public performance with Earthworks was on 31 July 2008, in London. In January 2009, at age 59, Bruford announced he was retiring from performing and recording after 41 years. He said he had growing stage fright and less energy for touring. The last studio album he played on was Skin and Wire: Play the Music of Colin Riley (2009). Bruford kept a diary of his shows and recorded 2,885 gigs.

After Retirement: Books and Return to Music

Bruford in 2009, the first year of his 13-year break from performing

In early 2009, Bruford published his autobiography. Soon after retiring, he had a short, quiet time playing in Ann Bailey's Soul House, a band that played Motown and soul songs.

In February 2016, after four and a half years of study, Bruford earned a PhD degree in Music from the University of Surrey. He wanted to do something related to music after retiring. He had missed the chance to go to college in the 1960s. His degree focused on creativity and music performance, especially with a drum kit. Bruford's thesis, "Making it work: Creative music performance and the Western kit drummer", was put online in May 2016. Since then, Bruford has written articles and given lectures at universities.

In April 2017, Bruford was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a former member of Yes. He went to the ceremony but did not perform or give a speech. In March 2018, Bruford introduced Yes at their London shows during their 50th Anniversary Tour. Later that year, Bruford published his second book, Uncharted: Creativity and the Expert Drummer. This book was based on his PhD studies.

In October 2020, Bruford sold many of his personal instruments and equipment from his career. In August 2021, his music from Bruford, Moraz/Bruford, and Earthworks became available on streaming services for the first time. In January 2022, Bruford started his own YouTube channel to share videos from his career. Later in 2022, a 6-CD box set of his music was released called Making a Song and Dance: A Complete-Career Collection. A 3-CD collection, The Best of Bill Bruford – The Winterfold & Summerfold Years, will follow in October 2024.

The Pete Roth Trio performing at the Hampstead Jazz Club on 1 November 2024. From left to right are Mike Pratt (bass), Pete Roth (guitar) and Bill Bruford (drums).

In 2022, after a 13-year break, Bruford joined the Pete Roth Trio, a jazz group led by guitarist Pete Roth. Roth used to be Bruford's drum technician. Bruford said his return to drumming was "explosive, unexpected, and very sudden." He remembered sitting down at someone else's drum kit and feeling excited to play again. The band plays in small venues, mostly in south-east England, and will tour through 2025.

On 3 August 2023, Bruford made a surprise appearance at a tribute concert for John Wetton. He played a song called "Let's Stick Together" with other musicians.

Bill Bruford's Bands

• Yes (1968–1972, 1991–1992)
• King Crimson (1972–1974, 1981–1984, 1994–1997)
• Gong (Nov–Dec 1974)
• National Health (1975–1977)
• Trigger (Roy Harper Band) (1975)
• Genesis (as concert drummer on A Trick of the Tail Tour, 1976)
• Absolute Elsewhere (1976)
• Bruford (1977–1980)
• U.K. (1978)
• Bill Bruford's Earthworks (Mark I: 1986–1993, Mark II: 1997–2008)
• Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (1988–1990)
• ProjeKct One (1997)
• Network of Sparks (1999)
• Bruford Levin Upper Extremities (1998–2000)
• Peter Roth Trio (2022–present)

About Bill Bruford's Life

Bruford married his wife Carolyn in March 1973. They live in Surrey, England. They have three children, including Alex, who was the drummer for the indie rock band Infadels.

At Bruford's wedding party, Jon Anderson met Jamie Muir. Muir inspired Anderson to read a book called Autobiography of a Yogi. This book later influenced Yes's double album Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973).

Bill Bruford's Influence

Many other drummers have said that Bruford influenced them. These include Danny Carey, Mike Portnoy, Matt Cameron, and Brann Dailor. Other artists like Neil Murray and Adrian Younge have also said they admire his work.

Awards and Recognition

In 1990, readers of Modern Drummer magazine voted Bill Bruford into that magazine's Hall of Fame.

Books by Bill Bruford

• Bill Bruford: The Autobiography. Yes, King Crimson, Earthworks and More (2009)
• Uncharted: Creativity and the Expert Drummer (2018)

Bill Bruford's Music Albums

Solo Albums

Bruford

• Feels Good to Me (1978)
• One of a Kind (1979)
• The Bruford Tapes (1979, live recording)
• Gradually Going Tornado (1980)
• Rock Goes to College (2006, live recording)

Compilations

• Master Strokes: 1978–1985 (1986)
• Making a Song and Dance: A Complete-Career Collection (2022)
• The Best of Bill Bruford – The Winterfold & Summerfold Years (2024)

As a Band Member

Guest Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Bill Bruford para niños