Hero #056: Peter Gabriel … (04/08/16)
Born in February of 1950, Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer-songwriter, musician and humanitarian activist who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career. His 1986 album, So, is his most commercially successful, selling five million copies in America, and the album’s biggest hit, “Sledgehammer”, won a record nine MTV Awards at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards. “Sledgehammer” remains the most played music video in the history of MTV. In addition, his soundtrack for Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ”, entitled “Passion” (album cover pictured), remains the most beautifully inspired album I have ever heard.
More important than his immense musical accomplishments, Gabriel has been a champion of world music for much of his career. He co-founded the WOMAD festival in 1982, and has continued to focus on producing and promoting the indigenous music of 3rd World nations through his Real World Records label.
Most importantly of all, Gabriel has been actively involved in numerous humanitarian efforts throughout his life. In 1980, he released the anti-apartheid single “Biko”. He has also participated in several human rights benefit concerts, including Amnesty International’s “Human Rights Now!” tour in 1988, and in 1992 he co-founded the WITNESS human rights organization. Gabriel also co-founded “The Elders”, a pro-active, independent international collection of global leaders — launched by Nelson Mandela in 2007 — working towards the realization of world peace and human rights for all. In recognition of his many years of human rights activism, Gabriel received the Man of Peace award from the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in 2006, and then again in 2008.
“From the pain, comes the dream …
From the dream, comes the vision …
From the vision, comes the people …
From the people, comes the power …
From this power …. comes the change.”
~ Peter Gabriel
;