English born Peter Gabriel has been one of the world's favorite artists since the 70s. He was the lead vocalist of Genesis for eight years, beginning in 1966, in the midst of the progressive rock era. After making a name for himself, he went solo with his debut album, Peter Gabriel 1 which put him in the experimental pop world. With his songwriting talent and unique style, and accompanied by attention-grabbing rock videos, he was a growing icon among the UK's top artists.
Gabriel's first four albums were at least partially self-titled. Gabriel's fans were surprised by the reality-oriented lyrics from Gabriel, in contrast to the mythological views that Genesis took up. The single 'Home Sweet Home,' from his 2nd album, is a prime example; it's about an English mother who committed suicide with her baby in her arms. His 3rd album, released by Mercury Records, was the first to break the top 40 charts. It inspired the hits 'Games Without Frontiers,' which went top 5 in England and 'Biko,' dedicated to the murdered South African activist Steven Biko. That hit was also redone by Simple Minds and Robert Wyatt. His 4th album created the hit 'Shock the Monkey,' along with one of his greatest videos. His 5th album, Play's Live, was recorded on the North American tour in 1982.
In 1984, he experimented with his music on the soundtrack of 'Birdy.' The album warned that the record contained recycled material and no lyrics. It was a mixture of Gabriel's earlier material without vocals. So was then released and went triple platinum, selling over 5 million copies all over the world, with the number 1 hit 'Sledgehammer' and the Number 10 hits 'Big Time' and 'In Your Eyes'.
For a while, Gabriel put his music career on hold and dived into numerous activities, including the 1988 Human Rights Now! Tour and co-founding WOMAD, the World of Music Arts and Dance, in 1980. He also launched Real World Records in 1989. The same year, he released Passion, the soundtrack to 'The Last Temptation Of Christ,' and received a Grammy for the creative album.
Years later, in 1992, Us was released and debuted at Number 2 on the charts with the hit 'Digging In The Dirt'. The same year he headed the first American WOMAD concert tour, which included Crowded House, P.M. Dawn, Ziggy Marley, Sheila Chandra, the Drummers of Burundi and the Terem Quartet. Gabriel and Sinead O'Connor also performed together.
Secret World Live was recorded on tour in 1994, and Gabriel also worked on the Ovo project for Britain's Millennium Dome Show. Gabriel produced the soundtrack for 'The Long Walk Home' in 2002, along with a theatrical show. His Still Growing Up 2004 Tour included 23 dates as he continues to tour worldwide annually.
