Wolbrandt, Peter |
1949 |
Guitarist and singer from Kraan |
Germany |
Halsall, Ollie |
1949 |
From Timebox to Patto to Boxer, via the Rutles and Tempest, and on to Kevin Ayers, Ollie Halsall was one of England's most original guitar players. |
United Kingdom |
Wetton, John |
1949 |
As a bassist and vocalist, John Wetton's career took many progressive turns throughout the 70s, highlighting his hard-working journeyman spirit, winding up with the big success of Asia in the early 80s. |
United Kingdom |
Hammill, Peter |
1948 |
Mr. Van Der Graaf Generator |
United Kingdom |
Squire, Chris |
1948 |
Bassist for Yes recorded one excellent solo album. |
United Kingdom |
Jarre, Jean Michel |
1948 |
French synthesist, popular |
France |
Way, Darryl |
1948 |
Violinist and composer for Curved Air |
United Kingdom |
Van Leer, Thijs |
1948 |
Flautist, keyboardist and vocalist of Focus, his solo albums were for the most part recordings of classical music. |
Netherlands |
Schmid, Wolfgang |
1948 |
Bassist best known for his work with Klaus Doldinger's Passport, and Head, Heart & Hands. |
Germany |
Falsini, Franco |
1948 |
Franco Falsini is best known as the founder of Sensations' Fix, but in the 80s he fronted a few disco/new wave outfits, most notably Electra, and with his brother Riccardo, The Antennas. |
Italy |
Winwood, Steve |
1948 |
From Spencer Davis, to Traffic, to Blind Faith, back to Traffic, Go, and then on to a very successful solo carrer, few musicians have the resume of multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood. A genuine legend of the... |
United Kingdom |
Smith, Judge |
1948 |
Christopher John Judge Smith, founding member of Van Der Graaf Generator, departed the band shortly after their first single, however remained close to the fold. His solo work is mainly large stage musicals. |
United Kingdom |
Moraz, Patrick |
1948 |
Best known for his ever-so-brief dalliance with Yes, Swiss-born Patrick Moraz spent the early 70s prog-rocking with Mainhorse, and then in London with ex-Nice members in Refugee. After an unceremonious boot from Yes in... |
Switzerland |
Eno, Brian |
1948 |
Brian Peter George Eno, one of England's most influential sound artists, began his musical career with Roxy Music before casting a wide net on all-things sound. His collaborations are too numerous to catalog, but works... |
United Kingdom |
Banks, Peter |
1947 |
Original guitarist for Yes |
United Kingdom |
Lake, Greg |
1947 |
Singer and bassist for King Crimson MK 1, and then on to prog supergroup Emerson Lake & Palmer. Incredibly sappy solo albums defy description. |
United Kingdom |
Godfrey, Robert John |
1947 |
The leader of The Enid released one album for Charisma Records in 1974. |
United Kingdom |
Howe, Steve |
1947 |
Steve Howe, guitarist for Tomorrow, Bodast, Yes, Asia and GTR. Guitar Player magazine vote him "Best Guitarist" for five years in a row in the late 70s. |
United Kingdom |
Anderson, Ian |
1947 |
Oddly enough, Ian Anderson's lone solo album highlights early 80s keyboard technology. |
United Kingdom |
Haslam, Annie |
1947 |
The voice of Renaissance. Annie's lone solo album was recorded with her then-husband, Roy Wood. |
United Kingdom |
Yamash'ta, Stomu |
1947 |
Classically-trained percussionist from Japan, Stomu Yamash'ta's career jumps between the avant-garde, traditional Japanese music, progressive jazz-rock and later in his career, soundtrack and new-age type music. For the... |
Japan |
Schulze, Klaus |
1947 |
A once member of Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel, Cosmic Couriers, and Richard Wahnfried, Klaus Schulze is one of the world's premiere and prolific electronic musicians. |
Germany |
Lees, John |
1947 |
Founding member of Barclay James Harvest, Lees' lone solo album was recorded in 1972. |
United Kingdom |
Top, Jannick |
1947 |
Bassist supreme |
France |
Kravetz, Jean-Jacques |
1947 |
Keyboard player for Frumpy, Atlantis, Randy Pie and more. |
France |
Bréant, François |
1947 |
Former member of Nemo, François Bréant released two albums of electronic music in the late 70s. |
France |
Browne, Duncan |
1947 |
Duncan Browne's earliest work is folk or baroque inspired, and his self-titled 1973 release yielded an UK Top 20 single with "Journey". He then ventured to electric guitar and formed Metro with Sean Lyons and Peter... |
United Kingdom |
Bowie, David |
1947 |
With a career spanning several decades and dozens of musical styles, David Bowie remains the man that put art into art rock. His "Berlin Trilogy" with Brian Eno should be of keen interest to fans of the progressive era. |
United Kingdom |
Akkerman, Jan |
1946 |
Focus guitarist, won many accolades in Britain during the early 70s. |
Netherlands |
Barrett, Syd |
1946 |
Roger Keith Barrett, founding member and primary songwriter of the early Pink Floyd, was a pioneer in the London Underground and perhaps the ultimate psychedelic hipster. Following his release from Pink Floyd in 1968,... |
United Kingdom |
Mackay, Andy |
1946 |
Andy Mackay's place in history is as the sax player for Roxy Music. |
United Kingdom |
Gilmour, David |
1946 |
"The Guitar and Voice of Pink Floyd", it's not surprising that Gilmour's solo career started with a whimper. |
United Kingdom |
Holdsworth, Allan |
1946 |
One of the progressive era's most recognizable guitarists, Allan Holdsworth has had a journeyman's career in the music world. During the 70s, he played for Igginbottom, Sunship, Nucleus, Tempest, Gong, The New Tony... |
United Kingdom |
Fripp, Robert |
1946 |
Robert Fripp's work with King Crimson, Brian Eno, David Bowie earned him a reputation as one of England's original guitarists, and one of prog rock's cornerstones. |
United Kingdom |
Pembroke, Jim |
1946 |
After emigrating to Finland in 1965, Jim Pembroke became a fixture of the Finnish progressive scene with Blues Section and then Wigwam, and his own underrated solo career. |
Finland |
Haskell, Gordon |
1946 |
|
United Kingdom |
Battiato, Franco |
1945 |
One of the few "solo" artists from Italy, Sicilian Battiato has a long career, featuring his original and idiosyncratic music. His first two albums should appeal most to progressive music fans, however Sulle Corde di... |
Italy |
Wyatt, Robert |
1945 |
Both biped and wheelchair-bound, the one and only. |
United Kingdom |
Genrich, Ax |
1945 |
Monster guitarist for Guru Guru. Also was founding member of Agitation Free. |
Germany |
Cousins, Dave |
1945 |
Guitarist, singer and composer of Strawbs. |
United Kingdom |
Argent, Rod |
1945 |
Keyboardist and composer of the Zombies and Argent. |
United Kingdom |
Calvert, Robert |
1945 |
Best known for his role in Hawkwind, the mercurial Robert Newton Calvert also recorded a pair of solo albums in the mid 70s with producer Brian Eno. Upon his departure in 1979 and up until his death in 1988, his work... |
United Kingdom |
Hensley, Ken |
1945 |
Keyboardist, guitarist, and songwriter of Uriah Heep. |
United Kingdom |
Anderson, Jon |
1944 |
Following his departure from Yes in 1979, Jon Anderson enjoyed a degree of success in the UK with a string of solo releases and a good touring band, "The New Life Orchestra". His concurrent work with Greek keyboardist... |
United Kingdom |
Ayers, Kevin |
1944 |
The Original Mr. Cool. An original on the Canterbury Scene, Kevin Ayers spent the 60s with Wilde Flowers and Soft Machine before retiring to the comforts of Deià, Mallorca. Coaxed away by Peter Jenner, Ayers recorded a... |
United Kingdom |
Reichel, Achim |
1944 |
One of Germany's most legendary musicians, Achim Reichel's career started in 1960 with The Rattles, one of the countries first beat-era bands. The 70s saw him delve into the progressive music scene, first as A.R. &... |
Germany |
Décamps, Francis |
1944 |
Two-fingered keyboardist from Ange |
France |
Emerson, Keith |
1944 |
Undoubtedly the premier "prog rock" musician, Emerson's keyboard-playing set the mark for everyone to follow. His first band The Nice were one of the first prog bands. |
United Kingdom |
Froese, Edgar |
1944 |
Edgar Froese, guitarist and founder of Tangerine Dream. |
Germany |
Twink |
1944 |
John Charles Alder, better known as Twink, played in a host of classic British psychedelia bands, including In-Crowd/Tomorrow, The Pretty Things/Electric Banana, Pink Fairies, and ever so short lived Stars, with Syd... |
United Kingdom |