Peter Sinfield

Peter Sinfield
Sinfield in 2010
Sinfield in 2010
Background information
Birth namePeter John Sinfield
Born(1943-12-27)27 December 1943
London, England
Died14 November 2024(2024-11-14) (aged 80)
Genres
Occupations
  • Lyricist
  • songwriter
  • musician
  • record producer
Instruments
Years active1960s–2024
Labels
Formerly ofKing Crimson
Websitesongsouponsea.com

Peter John Sinfield (27 December 1943 – 14 November 2024) was an English poet and songwriter. He was best known as a co-founder and lyricist of King Crimson. Their debut album In the Court of the Crimson King is considered one of the first and most influential progressive rock albums ever released.[1]

Sinfield's lyrics are known for their surreal imagery, often involving common fantasy concepts, nature, or the sea. They often also deal with emotional concepts and, sometimes, storyline concepts. Later in his career, he adapted his songwriting to better suit pop music, and wrote a number of successful songs for artists such as Celine Dion, Cher, Cliff Richard, Leo Sayer, Five Star, and Bucks Fizz.

Paul Stump, in his 1997 History of Progressive Rock, called Sinfield "the premier littérateur of Progressive".[2] In 2005, Sinfield was referred to as a "prog rock hero" in Q magazine for his lyrical work and influence in the music industry.[3]

  1. ^ "Rocking the Classics". Ulike.net. Archived from the original on 30 August 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2014. In his 1997 book Rocking the Classics, critic/musicologist Edward Macan noted that In the Court of the Crimson King "may be the most influential progressive rock album ever released"
  2. ^ Stump, Paul (1997). The Music's All that Matters: A History of Progressive Rock. Quartet Books Limited. p. 188. ISBN 0-7043-8036-6.
  3. ^ "Prog Rock Hero". Songsouponsea.com. Retrieved 28 September 2014.

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