Musicians - Roger Waters

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	Musicians - Roger Waters

George Roger Waters (born September 6, 1943) is an English rock musician and songwriter.

He is best known for his 1965-1985 career with the band Pink Floyd as one of their chief singers (along with David Gilmour), chief songwriter and bass player. Following this, he began a moderately successful solo career. In 2005, he released an opera, "Ça Ira".

History

(Pre 1965) Early years

Waters was born as George Waters in Great Bookham, Surrey near Dorking, and grew up in Cambridge. Although his father, Eric Fletcher Waters had been a Communist and ardent pacifist, he fought in World War II, and died in action at Anzio in 1944, when Roger was only one year old. Waters would refer or allude to the loss of his father throughout his work, especially on The Final Cut album from 1983 (which is dedicated to his father) and the song named "When the Tigers Broke Free" from the movie version of The Wall. However, he has said that the mother character from the former album was nothing like his own. Distrust of authority, particularly government, educational, and military institutions, is a recurring theme in Water's writing. This theme is clearly expressed in "When the Tigers Broke Free" as Waters expresses what he felt was a hollow and patronizing response to his father's sacrifice at Anzio.

"And kind old King George sent Mother a note when he heard that Father was gone. It was, as I recall, in a form of a scroll, with gold leaf and all. And I found it one day in a drawer of old photographs, hidden away. And my eyes still grow damp to remember, His Majesty signed with his own rubber stamp."

He attended the same school as Syd Barrett and David Gilmour, and met Nick Mason and Richard Wright while attending the Regent Street Polytechnic school of architecture. He was a keen sportsman and was fond of swimming in the River Cam at Grantchester Meadows..

(1965-1985) Band years

In 1965, Roger Waters was a founding member of Pink Floyd, with then lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter Syd Barrett – as well as Richard Wright and Nick Mason. Although Barrett initially did most of the songwriting for the band, Roger did compose "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk" on their 1967 debut LP, Piper at the Gates of Dawn. The album was a critical success and positioned the band for stardom.

In 1968, Barrett's erratic behavior and deteriorating mental health led to his eventual departure from the band. There was talk that without the talented lead singer and songwriter, the band would not be able to sustain its initial success. To fill the void, Waters began to chart the band's artistic direction. Along with co-writer, guitarist, and singer David Gilmour, who had joined the band to augment, and later replace Barrett, Waters brought Pink Floyd back into prominence, producing a series of albums in the 1970s that remain among the most critically acclaimed and best-selling records of all time.

Waters, the main lyrical contributor, exerted more and more creative control over the band. Waters steered Floyd into recording increasingly personalized concept albums such as Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall. While recording The Wall, Waters made the decision to fire organist and founding member Rick Wright, although Wright remained on the album tour as a paid session musician. In 1983, the last Waters-Gilmour-Mason collaboration, The Final Cut, was released, though it was largely considered a Roger Waters solo album "performed by Pink Floyd" than an actual Pink Floyd album.

In 1985, Waters proclaimed that, due to irreconcilable differences, the band had dissolved. The ensuing disagreement between Waters and Gilmour over the latter's intention to continue to use the name "Pink Floyd" descended into lawsuits and public bickering in the press. Waters claimed that as the original band consisted of himself, Syd Barrett, Nick Mason and Richard Wright, that this band could not reasonably call itself "Pink Floyd" now that it was without three of its founding members. Another of Waters' arguments was that he had written almost all of the band's lyrics, post Barrett. However, Gilmour and Mason won the right to use the name and a majority of the band's songs, though Waters did retain the rights to the albums The Wall and all of its songs (save for the three Gilmour co-wrote) and The Final Cut, and to the famous Pink Floyd pigs.

(1985-) Solo years

Waters embarked on a solo career after Pink Floyd, producing three concept albums and a movie soundtrack that failed to garner impressive sales. His first, 1984's The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking (eventually toured in 1984 and 1985) was a project about a man's dreams in a night, conceived around the same time as The Wall. In 1987, he released Radio K.A.O.S. (toured in 1987), yet another concept album with 80's pop production about a boy named Billy who can hear radio waves in his head.

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Musicians - Roger Waters

History

(Pre 1965) Early years

(1965-1985) Band years

(1985-) Solo years

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