Peter Sinfield
| Peter Sinfield | |
|---|---|
Sinfield in Genoa, 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Peter John Sinfield |
| Born |
27 December 1943 Fulham, London, England |
| Genres | Progressive rock, art rock |
| Occupation(s) | Lyricist, record producer, songwriter, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, synthesizer |
| Years active | 1960s–present |
| Labels | Manticore, E.G. Records, EMI, Imagem Music |
| Associated acts | King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Roxy Music, Premiata Forneria Marconi, Greg Lake, Keith Christmas, Five Star, Bucks Fizz |
| Website | http://www.songsouponsea.com |
| Notable instruments | |
| EMS VCS 3 | |
Peter John Sinfield (born 27 December 1943) is an English poet and songwriter, most famously known as the lyricist and co-founding member of early incarnations of King Crimson, whose debut album In the Court of the Crimson King is regarded by some critics as one of the most influential progressive rock albums released.
In 2005, Sinfield was noted as a "Prog rock hero" in Q magazine, for his impressive lyrical contribution and creative influence while working within the rock music industry.
As a lyricist, Sinfield has a distinctive approach to the sounds of words, filled with surreal imagery, and a special facility with water-images and ideas involving the sea. Later on in his career he adapted his writing for pop music, and co-wrote a succession of hits that were to be sung by artists such as Celine Dion, Cher, Cliff Richard, Leo Sayer, Five Star and Bucks Fizz.
Sinfield was born at Fulham, London, to mixed English-Irish ancestry and a bohemian, activist, bisexual mother Deidre (also known as Joey or Daphne). He seldom had contact with his father Ian. Up until the age of eight, he was raised largely by his mother's German housekeeper Maria Wallenda, a high wire walker from the circus act The Flying Wallendas, after which he was sent to Danes Hill School in Oxshott. It was there that Sinfield discovered a love of words and their use and meanings, with the guidance of his tutor John Mawson. He came to devour books of all kinds, especially poetry. He later attended Ranelagh Grammar School in Bracknell, Berkshire. He left school at sixteen and worked briefly as a travel agent, believing that this would "allow him to see the world". He then went on to work for a computer company for six years, travelling around Europe when he could and hanging around with friends from the Chelsea School of Art. To compete with his art school friends, Sinfield began learning to play the guitar, and write poetry in the mid 1960s, and made a living on market stalls selling handmade kites, lampshades, paintings and customised clothing. He spent a number of years drifting around Morocco and Spain before returning to England. Sometime in 1967, he started Infinity, a band that did not have a lasting future, but one of the members was Ian McDonald, who was impressed with Sinfield’s talents as a lyricist, if not his abilities as a singer or guitarist.
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