Happy Birthday, George!

Happy 68th birthday to the man who founded a group that has sold over 200 million albums worldwide and was the conceptual leader of one of the most influential bands of the 1970's. He is a writer, a lyricist, a poet, and he inspired me to pick up the bass guitar.  

George Roger Waters was born September 6, 1943 in Great Bookham, Surrey, England and was the youngest of two. His parents, Mary and Eric Fletcher Waters also had a boy named John.

His father Eric died in Operation Shingle at Anzio Beachhead in 1944 and though he was only five months old at the time, Eric Waters' death had a tremendous impact on Roger's life, as evidenced by the subject matter covered on 1979's The Wall.

Following his father's death, his mother moved Roger and John to Cambridge where he attended the Cambridge High School for Boys (now known as the Hills Road Sixth Form College) and Roger met future band mate, Roger Barrett (who would later be known as Syd). Following high school, Roger attended Regent Street Polytechnic (now known as University of Westminster) for architecture and met Nick Mason and Richard Wright. As the four lost interest in their studies, they found refuge in music.

First known as The Tea Set and later The Pink Floyd Sound and The Pink Floyd, Pink Floyd released The Piper at the Gates of Dawn in 1967. By later that same year, Syd's mental condition had deteriorated so  much that he was booted and replaced by David Gilmour who grew up near Roger.

Roger and David worked together on all of their subsequent albums throughout the 1970's including the hugely successful The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall. Following the release of The Final Cut, creative differences within the group led to Roger's departure in 1985 and he later filed suit regarding name retention rights and the usage of the name Pink Floyd for the remaining members.

Roger embarked on a solo career after Pink Floyd and released four albums: The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking, When the Wind Blows (which was the soundtrack to an animated film based on the book of the same name), Radio K.A.O.S. and Amused to Death.

Roger was also involved in one of the largest rock concerts ever in history in 1990. Roger staged the show in the empty space where the Berlin Wall used to stand. Roger assembled several musicians to put on The Wall Live in Berlin in front of an estimated crowd of over 200 thousand. Though several iconic rock figures were invited to the show, Richard Wright, Nick Mason and David Gilmour were left out and in 1996, Roger was inducted into both the U.S. and U.K. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Pink Floyd.

1999 brought Roger's return to the music industry as he embarked on his solo In The Flesh tour that concluded with a show in front of 70 thousand at Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts. He also released a concert DVD and live album from his show at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon. (I happen to own both and if you haven't picked them up yet, it is highly suggested.)

In July of 2005, Pink Floyd reunited at the Live 8 Concert in London's Hyde Park. Roger, David, Nick and Richard played six songs with Comfortably Numb being the final song the four would ever play together as Richard Wright passed away in 2008 due to an undisclosed type of cancer.

2006 brought about the two year Dark Side of the Moon Live tour. The first half of the show was both Pink Floyd and Roger's solo material. The second half of the show Roger played The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety which was the first time he had done that in over 30 years.

In 2010, Roger began The Wall Live as a worldwide tour with a complete performance of The Wall front to back, which was named one of the most successful tours of 2011.

Roger is also a known political activist and philanthropist, noted for his work following the 2004 earthquake/tsunami in the Indian Ocean. He also works with Countryside Alliance, Millennium Promise, Gaza Freedom March and BDS Movement Against Israel.

Happy 68th, Roger. And many more.