Peter Sinfield, a co-founder of the progressive rock band King Crimson and a successful pop songwriter for artists like Céline Dion, has passed away. He was 80.

King Crimson shared the news of his death, remembering him as the band’s “original roadie, lyricist, lighting designer, and live sound engineer.” The statement did not disclose a cause of death.

 

Peter Sinfield, born on December 27, 1943, in Fulham, London, was a groundbreaking lyricist, poet, and songwriter.  He left a mark on the worlds of progressive rock and pop music. Best known as a co-founder of King Crimson, his evocative lyrics and innovative vision helped shape the band’s early success.

Sinfield’s entry into the music world came through his fascination with poetry and his collaboration with guitarist Robert Fripp, who invited him to join King Crimson in 1968. Sinfield served as the band’s lyricist, creating richly imaginative, surrealist lyrics for their debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King (1969). Widely regarded as one of the greatest progressive rock albums, it featured Sinfield’s intricate wordplay on tracks like “21st Century Schizoid Man” and the title track.

In addition to his role as lyricist, Sinfield contributed to King Crimson’s live performances as their lighting designer and sound engineer.Despite parting ways with King Crimson in 1971 after contributing to their first four albums, Sinfield continued to influence the progressive rock scene, briefly joining Emerson, Lake & Palmer as a lyricist and collaborating on several of their classic tracks.

 

In the mid-1970s, Sinfield transitioned to a successful pop songwriting career, showcasing his adaptability and talent for crafting hits. He collaborated with Italian musician Raffaella Carrà and later partnered with songwriter and producer Andrew Lloyd Webber, penning English lyrics for songs like “The Land of Make Believe” by Bucks Fizz and Dionne Warwick’s “Heartbreaker.” His most notable pop success came in the 1990s when he co-wrote the global hit “Think Twice” for Céline Dion.

Beyond his contributions to music, Sinfield was an author and poet, publishing works that revealed the depth of his creative imagination. He maintained a fascination with technology, experimenting with electronic music and digital art later in life.

He appeared in the 2009 BBC documentary Prog Rock Britannia: An Observation in Three Movements before retiring to Aldeburgh, a coastal town in Suffolk, England.

Rest In Peace.