Peter Gabriel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peter Gabriel |
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Gabriel performing in October 2023
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| Born | 13 February 1950 Chobham, England |
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| Years active | 1965–present |
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Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is a famous English singer, songwriter, and musician. He is also known for his work as a human rights activist. Peter first became well-known as the lead singer of the rock band Genesis.
He left Genesis in 1975 to start his own music career. His first solo song was "Solsbury Hill". After releasing four successful albums, all named Peter Gabriel, his album So (1986) became his biggest hit. It sold millions of copies. The song "Sledgehammer" from that album won nine MTV Awards. In 2011, Time magazine said "Sledgehammer" was the most played music video ever on MTV.
Peter Gabriel has always supported world music. In 1982, he helped start the World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) festival. He also created his own record label, Real World Records, to help promote music from around the globe. He has been involved in many efforts to help people. For example, he released the song "Biko" in 1980 to speak out against apartheid. He also co-founded Witness in 1992, an organization that uses videos to show human rights problems.
Peter Gabriel has won many awards, including three Brit Awards, six Grammy Awards, and 13 MTV Video Music Awards. He was honored for his human rights work with the Man of Peace award in 2006. In 2008, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: once with Genesis in 2010 and again as a solo artist in 2014.
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Peter Gabriel's Early Life and Music
Peter Brian Gabriel was born on 13 February 1950 in Chobham, England. He grew up in a middle-class family. His father was an electrical engineer, and his mother came from a musical family. Peter started piano lessons with his mother and became interested in drumming. When he was 10, he bought a drum.
Peter enjoyed singing hymns, which he felt were similar to soul music. At age 12, he wrote his first song, "Sammy the Slug". He used money given for singing lessons to buy the Beatles' first album. In 1963, he started at Charterhouse. There, he played drums and sang in his first band, the Milords.
In 1965, Peter formed the band Garden Wall with school friends Tony Banks and Chris Stewart. Peter and Tony bonded over music and started writing songs together.
Peter Gabriel's Music Career
Starting with Genesis
In 1967, Garden Wall broke up. Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks were invited by other school friends, Anthony Phillips and Mike Rutherford, to work on a demo tape. Peter and Tony contributed their song "She Is Beautiful". The tape was sent to musician Jonathan King, who was impressed by Peter's singing. He signed the group and suggested the name Genesis.
Their first single, "The Silent Sun", was released in 1968. It was part of their first album, From Genesis to Revelation (1968). After this album didn't sell well, the band members went their separate ways for a short time. In 1969, they decided to make Genesis a full-time band.
In early 1970, Peter played the flute on an album by Cat Stevens. Genesis's second album, Trespass (1970), showed Peter using more instruments like the flute and tambourine. He also started adding his soul music influences. Peter said he played these instruments because he didn't like doing nothing during the instrumental parts of songs.
Genesis later added guitarist Steve Hackett and drummer Phil Collins. Peter became more confident as a frontman. During a concert in 1971, he jumped into the audience and broke his ankle. He had to perform the next shows using a wheelchair and crutches.
Peter also started telling stories to introduce songs during concerts. This helped fill the silence while the band tuned their instruments. These stories were made up on the spot and changed as the tour went on.
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Developing Stage Performances
The concerts for their album Foxtrot (1972) were important for Peter's stage shows. In September 1972, during a concert in Dublin, he disappeared during a song and came back wearing his wife's red dress and a fox's head. This was inspired by the album's cover. This surprise appearance made headlines and helped Genesis become more famous.
By late 1973, Peter's stage shows became even more theatrical. He would wear different costumes, like fluorescent make-up and bat wings for "Watcher of the Skies", or a helmet and shield for "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight". He also wore a crown of thorns and a flower mask for "Supper's Ready".
"I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" became Genesis's first hit song in the UK.
Leaving Genesis
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974) was Peter's last album with Genesis. He created the story for the album himself, about a young man named Rael in New York City. He wanted to write all the lyrics for this album.
During this time, Peter's first daughter was born, which was difficult. He spent time away from the band, and the other members felt he wasn't committed. Peter felt they didn't understand his family crisis. He told the band he would leave after the tour.
The tour ended in May 1975. Peter then wrote a statement for the press explaining his departure. He said he was tired of the music business and wanted to spend time with his family. Fans were shocked. After Peter left, drummer Phil Collins became the new lead singer for Genesis.
Starting a Solo Career
After leaving Genesis, Peter took a break to learn more about music. By late 1975, he had recorded demos for about 20 new songs. He recorded his first solo album, Peter Gabriel, in 1976 and 1977.
Peter decided not to give his first four solo albums different names. They were all called Peter Gabriel, with the same style of writing. He wanted them to be like a yearly magazine, where only the photo on the cover changed. Fans gave them nicknames, usually based on the album cover, like Car, Scratch, Melt, and Security.
Peter Gabriel 1: Car was released in February 1977. It did well in the UK and US. The first song from it, "Solsbury Hill", is about a spiritual experience Peter had. He said it's about being ready to lose what you have for something new. Peter toured the album with 80 shows.
In late 1977, Peter started recording his second album, Peter Gabriel 2: Scratch. It was released in June 1978. For the tour, Peter and his band shaved their heads.
Peter recorded his third album, Peter Gabriel 3: Melt, in 1979. He became interested in African music and drum machines. This album is known for being one of the first to use a special drum sound called gated reverb. This sound became very popular in the 1980s.
His US record company, Atlantic Records, didn't want to release Melt because they thought it was too unusual. So, Peter signed with Mercury Records. The album was released in May 1980 and became number one in the UK. The songs "Games Without Frontiers" and "Biko" were popular singles. On this tour, Peter started crowd surfing, where he would fall back into the audience. This became a regular part of his shows.
For his fourth album, Peter Gabriel 4: Security, Peter took more control over the production. He recorded it at his home using digital tape and a Fairlight CMI synthesizer. He mixed electronic sounds with world music percussion.
The fourth Peter Gabriel album was released in September 1982. It was a hit in both the UK and US. The song "Shock the Monkey" was his first top 40 hit in the US. His 1982 tour was his first to make a profit.
In 1983, Peter created the music for the film Birdy. This music had no lyrics and used sounds from his previous album.
So and Us Albums
After Birdy, Peter focused on writing more straightforward songs. In 1985, he recorded his fifth album, So. It was released in May 1986 and became number one in the UK and number two in the US. It is his best-selling album, selling over five million copies in the US.
So had three top 20 songs in the UK: "Sledgehammer", "Big Time", and "Don't Give Up", which was a duet with Kate Bush. "Sledgehammer" became Peter's only number one hit in the US. It even knocked a song by his old band Genesis out of the top spot!
The music video for "Sledgehammer" was very famous. It won nine MTV Video Music Awards in 1987. So also won Peter two Brit Awards. He toured the world to support So from 1986 to 1987.
In 1988, Peter composed music for the film The Last Temptation of Christ. He used musicians from his WOMAD festival to create instrumental pieces with African, Middle Eastern, and European sounds. The soundtrack, called Passion, won a Grammy Award. In 1990, Peter released his first collection of hit songs, Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats.
From 1989 to 1992, Peter recorded his next album, Us. This album was very personal. It explored his feelings about his first marriage ending and his relationship with his daughter.
The song "Digging in the Dirt" from Us had a video showing Peter covered in snails. This song was about his personal struggles. "Come Talk to Me" was about his efforts to connect with his daughter and featured Sinéad O'Connor singing backup.
Us was not as successful as So, but it still reached number two on the album charts in the UK and US. Peter toured with the Secret World Tour to support the album. This tour was captured on a live album and video called Secret World Live, released in 1994.
Peter used a unique way to market the Us album. Instead of just pictures of himself, he asked famous artists to create original artworks for each of the 11 songs.
Peter won three more Grammy Awards for his music videos: "Digging in the Dirt" (1993), "Steam" (1994), and his Secret World Live video (1996).
Later Albums and Projects
In 1997, Peter was asked to help with the music for the Millennium Dome Show in London. His soundtrack for this show was released as OVO in June 2000. He also worked on the music for the film Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002), which featured worldbeat music. This soundtrack, Long Walk Home, was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Up, Peter's first full studio album in ten years, was released in September 2002. He had been working on it since 1995. Up reached number nine in the US and number eleven in the UK. He went on a world tour to support it, with his daughter Melanie singing backup.
In 2004, Peter met with his former Genesis bandmates to talk about a reunion tour, but he decided not to do it. He performed at the Live 8 concert in 2005. He also sang "Imagine" by John Lennon at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy.
In 2008, Peter released Big Blue Ball, an album with many different artists who had worked together at his Real World Studios. He also contributed to the WALL-E movie soundtrack with the song "Down to Earth". This song won a Grammy Award.
In 2009, Peter recorded Scratch My Back, an album where he covered songs by other artists. He used orchestral arrangements instead of drums and guitar. This album was released in February 2010. He then toured with a 54-piece orchestra.
In 2011, he released New Blood, which featured orchestral versions of his own songs. In 2012, Peter started his Back to Front Tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his So album. He performed the entire album with the original musicians.
In 2014, Peter was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. He performed "Heroes" with an orchestra to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
In 2016, he released the song "I'm Amazing", which was a tribute to boxer Muhammad Ali. He also went on a joint tour with Sting. In 2019, Peter released Rated PG, a collection of songs he made for movies. He also released Flotsam and Jetsam, which included rare songs and remixes from his solo career.
Recent Music and Future Plans
Peter has been working on his tenth studio album, tentatively titled I/O, for many years. In 2021, he confirmed he was recording 17 new songs. In November 2022, he announced his "I/O The Tour" for 2023.
The first song from I/O, "Panopticom", was released in January 2023. Peter plans to release a new song from the album on each full moon in 2023. The album I/O was finally released on 1 December 2023. Peter has hinted that another album, which he calls his "brain project," might not take as long to release.
Peter Gabriel's Artistic Style
Peter Gabriel's music is known for mixing different styles. Music writers have called it progressive rock, art rock, art pop, and worldbeat. He is seen as an innovator in art-rock and a promoter of "world music."
He has worked with many talented musicians throughout his solo career. Tony Levin has played bass on almost all of Peter's albums and tours. David Rhodes has been his main guitarist since 1979. Peter is known for choosing excellent collaborators, including Kate Bush, Sinéad O'Connor, and Phil Collins.
Peter has collaborated with singer Kate Bush many times. She sang backup on his songs "Games Without Frontiers" and "No Self Control". She was also the lead female voice on "Don't Give Up", a top 10 hit in the UK.
He also worked with artist Laurie Anderson on her song "Excellent Birds". Peter sang on songs for other artists like the Call and Toni Childs. In 1998, he sang "That'll Do" for the movie Babe: Pig in the City, which was nominated for an Academy Award.
WOMAD and Other Projects
Peter Gabriel's interest in world music became clear on his third solo album. He is a major force behind the World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) festival. This festival celebrates music, arts, and dance from all over the world.
Peter created Real World Studios and a record label to help artists from different cultures create and share their music. He has worked to introduce Western audiences to musicians like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Youssou N'dour.
He has a strong interest in human rights. He launched Witness, a charity that teaches human rights activists how to use video and online tools to show human rights abuses. In 2006, he received the Man of Peace award for his work with Witness and his support for peace and human rights.
In the 1990s, Peter helped create advanced multimedia projects. He developed Xplora, a best-selling music CD-ROM, and EVE, a music and art adventure game that won a major award.
Peter also helped start OD2, one of the first online music download services. This service allowed people to download music legally. He also co-founded Mudda, a union for musicians who download music digitally.
In 2000, Peter worked with other artists like Zucchero and Anggun for a charity that helped children with AIDS. He also contributed songs and voice work for the video games Uru: Ages Beyond Myst and Myst IV: Revelation.
In 2005, Peter and David Engelke bought Solid State Logic, a company that makes mixing consoles for music. He is also a founding supporter of Asteroid Day, a global event to raise awareness about asteroids.
Peter Gabriel's Activism
Peter Gabriel has been described as one of rock's most political musicians. He has used his platform to support many important causes.
In 1986, he began a long partnership with Amnesty International, a human rights organization. He participated in many of Amnesty's Human rights concerts and tours between 1986 and 1998. He performed at events like the A Conspiracy of Hope tour and the Human Rights Now! world tour. He often closed these concerts by performing his anti-apartheid song "Biko".
Inspired by his work with Amnesty, Peter co-founded WITNESS in 1992. This group helps local organizations around the world use video and the internet to document and speak out against human rights abuses.
In the late 1990s, Peter and businessman Richard Branson talked with Nelson Mandela about creating a group of wise leaders to help solve global conflicts. On 18 July 2007, Nelson Mandela announced the formation of this new group, called The Elders. The Elders are a group of public figures who work for peace and human rights. Peter Gabriel is one of the founding supporters who helps fund The Elders.
In September 2008, Peter received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award for his human rights work.
Peter has also spoken out against Air France for transporting monkeys to laboratories. In March 2014, he supported the #withsyria campaign to help victims of the Syrian Civil War.
In March 2015, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of South Australia. This recognized his commitment to creativity and its power to build peace and understanding.
Peter has supported the idea of a two-state solution for the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. In 2014, he contributed songs to an album to raise money for Palestinian Arabs in Gaza. He stated that he is not anti-Israeli but opposes the policies of the Israeli government and injustice.
He has also supported the recognition of the Armenian genocide. In October 2020, he posted a message supporting Armenia and Artsakh during the Nagorno-Karabakh war.
Peter Gabriel's Personal Life
Peter Gabriel has been married twice and has four children. In 1971, he married Jill Moore. They had two daughters, Anna-Marie and Melanie. Anna-Marie is a filmmaker who directed some of Peter's live DVDs and music videos. Melanie is a musician and has been a backing vocalist in her father's band.
Peter married Meabh Flynn in 2002, and they have two sons.
Peter has lived in Wiltshire for many years and runs Real World Studios from Box, Wiltshire. In 2010, he joined a campaign to protect the Woolley Valley, which inspired his song "Solsbury Hill".
Peter Gabriel's Music Albums
Studio albums
- Peter Gabriel (1977; known as Peter Gabriel 1 and Car)
- Peter Gabriel (1978; known as Peter Gabriel 2 and Scratch)
- Peter Gabriel (1980; known as Peter Gabriel 3 and Melt)
- Peter Gabriel (1982; known as Peter Gabriel 4 and Security)
- So (1986)
- Us (1992)
- Up (2002)
- Scratch My Back (2010)
- New Blood (2011)
- I/O (2023)
Soundtracks
- Birdy (1985)
- Passion (1989)
- OVO (2000)
- Long Walk Home (2002)
Awards and Nominations
Images for kids
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Peter Gabriel's signature
