Robert Fripp

Associated with the progressive rock band King Crimson, which he founded in 1968, Robert Fripp (b. 1946) also established himself as one of the most important guitarists of his time. A perfectionist composer and musician, he also developed an experimental body of work drawing on electronic and contemporary research, beginning in 1973 with the albums No Pussyfooting and Evening Star, produced with Brian Eno. A sought-after accompanist to leading artists, he made an avant-garde contribution to albums by David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Daryl Hall, Blondie and Talking Heads. In 1985, he founded the Guitar Craft school, while continuing his various activities in King Crimson, solo and in production. Among his outstanding works are Exposure (1979) and The League of Gentlemen (1981), based on his personal sounds, which he christened frippertronics and discotronics. He also collaborated with Adrian Belew, Andy Summers (The Police), David Sylvian (ex-Japan; Gone to Earth, 1986) and his wife Toyah, before re-forming King Crimson in 1993.