Roger Waters

Background

Pink Floyd’s lyricist, bassist, and leader, Roger Waters, was born on September 6, 1943, in Surrey. He grew up in Cambridge, England. Besides music, he was also interested in sports, particularly swimming.

Waters, Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright founded the classic British rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” their debut album, was released in 1967. In 1968, Syd’s disastrous mental health forced him to exit the band, and guitarist/singer David Gilmour replaced him. He, along with Waters, created successful albums like “Dark Side of the Moon,” “Wish You Were Here,” and “Meddle.” Waters eventually sat in the driver’s seat and assumed control of the band. He eventually rose to prominence as the primary author, serving as the driving force behind successful albums like “Animals,” “The Wall,” and the sole author of “The Final Cut.”

Waters began to have disagreements with the band in the 1980s, and they started getting alienated due to his controlling nature. He and Gilmour would argue about each other’s ideas, and during the recording of “The Wall,” he fired Richard Wright from the band. Following the release of “The Final Cut” in 1983, the last album they performed together as a group, Waters left the band. He then demanded the disbandment of Pink Floyd and sued the rest of the members to refrain from using the band name, which the remaining members like David Gilmour and Nick Mason resisted. His lawsuit failed, and Pink Floyd continued to release albums without him. Waters was, however, granted access to his solo composition, “The Wall.” He began his solo career after leaving Pink Floyd, releasing three albums that were not as successful as his Pink Floyd albums.