Brian Eno
Have you ever wondered if there is any direct link connecting some of the coolest pop music around? There is, and it is Brian Eno. Eno's producing, collaborating, composing, creating, singing, and/or playing are featured, one way or another, in the works of Laurie Anderson, David Bowie, John Cale, Devo, Robert Fripp, Roxy Music, Talking Heads, and U2, amongst other fellow travelers. Eno was born in East Anglia, England in 1948, as Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno. (Yes, that is the name on his birth certificate.) His first taste of art on the edge came with his work with the Merchant Taylor’s Simultaneous Cabinent, an avant-garde theatre group. In the early 70's, Eno played the synthesizer and helped create Roxy Music's sound. Later, his appreciation for the possibilities of technology in the studio would pave the way for today's dominance of hip-hop's sampling techniques. Bed-ridden after a car accident, Eno hit upon the notion of "ambient music," an idea pioneered by Eno (music in airports to calm travelers, for example) and now used all over the world. Eno continues to have his hand in the creation of pop music, but also applies his talents to art installations. Comfortable with video, computers, and instrumental sound, Eno released his first solo vocal album in fifteen years, Another Day on Earth, in 2005.
