1. Robert Wyatt was born on Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945 and is an English retired musician.
26 Facts About Robert Wyatt
1. 2.
Robert Wyatt's mother, Honor Wyatt, was a journalist with the BBC, and his father, George Ellidge, was an industrial psychologist.
3.
Honor Wyatt was a cousin of Woodrow Wyatt, whose political stance influenced Robert in joining the Communist Party of Great Britain.
4.
Robert Wyatt had two half-brothers from his parents' previous marriages, Honor Robert Wyatt's son, actor Julian Glover, and George Ellidge's son, press photographer Mark Ellidge.
5.
Robert Wyatt was initially the drummer in the Wilde Flowers, but following the departure of Ayers, he became lead singer.
6.
Robert Wyatt both drummed and shared vocals with Ayers, an unusual combination for a stage rock band.
7.
In 1970, after chaotic touring, three albums and increasing internal conflicts in Soft Machine, Robert Wyatt released his first solo album, The End of an Ear, which combined his vocal and multi-instrumental talents with tape effects.
8.
Robert Wyatt began to assemble a new band in England to record these numbers, but on 1 June 1973, during a birthday party for Gong's Gilli Smyth and June Campbell Cramer at the latter's Maida Vale home, an inebriated Wyatt fell from a fourth-floor window and broke his spine.
9.
Robert Wyatt was paralysed from the waist down and has used a wheelchair for mobility ever since.
10.
Robert Wyatt promptly embarked on a solo career, and with musician friends released his solo album Rock Bottom on 26 July 1974.
11.
Two months later Robert Wyatt put out a single, a cover version of "I'm a Believer", which hit number 29 in the UK chart.
12.
Robert Wyatt won the day and "lost his rag but not the wheelchair".
13.
Robert Wyatt subsequently sang lead vocals on Mason's first solo album Fictitious Sports, a suite of songs composed by American jazz musician Carla Bley.
14.
In 1984 Robert Wyatt provided guest vocals, along with Tracey Thorn and Claudia Figueroa, on "Venceremos ", a song expressing political solidarity with Chilean people suffering under Pinochet's military dictatorship, released as a single by UK soul-jazz dance band Working Week, included on their debut album released the following year.
15.
In 1985 Robert Wyatt released Old Rottenhat, his first album of original songs since Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard.
16.
Robert Wyatt can be seen in the DVD's Special Features section, and is praised by the film's composer Bruno Coulais as being a big influence in his younger days.
17.
In June 2001, Robert Wyatt was curator of the Meltdown festival, and sang "Comfortably Numb" with David Gilmour at the festival.
18.
In 2004 Robert Wyatt collaborated with Bjork on the song "Submarine" which was released on her fifth album Medulla.
19.
Robert Wyatt sang and played cornet and percussion with David Gilmour on Gilmour's album On an Island, and read passages from the novels of Haruki Murakami for Max Richter's album Songs from Before.
20.
Robert Wyatt released Comicopera in October 2007 on Domino Records, who went on to re-release Drury Lane, Rock Bottom, Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard, Nothing Can Stop Us, Old Rottenhat, Dondestan, Shleep, EPs and Cuckooland on CD and vinyl the following year.
21.
Robert Wyatt was one of the guest editors of BBC Radio 4's Today programme, working on the 1 January 2010 programme.
22.
Robert Wyatt performed the soundtrack to Jimmy McGovern's 2014 BBC production, Common.
23.
Robert Wyatt cited age and greater interest in politics as his reasons.
24.
On 16 December 2016 Robert Wyatt appeared at the Brighton Dome, with Paul Weller and Danny Thompson, in support of Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, as the opening instalment of "People Powered: Concerts for Corbyn".
25.
The Tears for Fears song "I Believe" from their 1985 album Songs from the Big Chair was originally written by bandmember Roland Orzabal for Robert Wyatt, and is dedicated to him.
26.
Robert Wyatt is married to English painter and songwriter Alfreda Benge.