Peter Gabriel

One of the most unique and innovative artists in popular music for over 40 years, Peter Gabriel was a critically acclaimed singer and composer as well as a leading force in the advancement and dissemination of entertainment technology and a global force in the promotion of human rights. He gained initial fame as the singer for the English rock band Genesis, but attention over his complex, dreamlike songs and bizarre stage costumes forced him to part ways with them in the mid-1970s. In the 1980s and early 1990s, he reinvented himself as a solo performer with a string of deeply personal albums that combined the latest electronic production techniques with stirring world music beats; his 1986 album So made him a star with hits like "Sledgehammer" and "In Your Eyes." Gabriel used his new status to pursue more personal interests, including the promotion of human rights through Amnesty International, world music through WOMAD, and a myriad of technological innovations. His contributions to popular music and media, as well as his tireless championing of freedom for all people, made him among the most respected and influential figures in entertainment history.