Who Is Brian Eno?

If you've seen the movie "Traffic" and heard the beautiful ambient music playing at the end when Benito Del Toro is watching a baseball match between school kids knows who Brian Eno is. After all, this gentleman is now known as the father of modern ambient music. Brian Eno whose actual name is Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno is an English musician and record producer. He was born in the year 1948 in Woodbridge, Suffolk. Brioan Eno was married in 1967 to Sarah Grenville, he was just eighteen years old. Now, however, he is married to Anthea Norman-Taylor. He is a father of three daughters, two of whom are from his current wife. Brian Eno is a graduate from the Winchester School of Art.

To expand a bit on what Fullon wrote:  Eno is an acclaimed music producer, performer and writer.  He was a founding member of the band Roxy Music, although he left the group after two albums.  He later work with Roxy guitarist Phil Manzanera on a band called 801.  (There's a live 801 album with a stunning version of "Tomorrow Never Knows," the Beatles song.)

Eno released a couple of albums of songs with lyrics on his own (beginngin with HERE COME THE WARM JETS), but much of his solo work has been instrumental.  He's done a few soundtracks, as well.

Eno has collaborated with an interesting array of artists, including Talking Heads (MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD, FEAR OF MUSIC, REMAIN IN LIGHT), David Bowie (HEROES, LOW, THE LODGER), and Robert Fripp.  He also released an album with John Cale in 1990.

His most recent work was providing "soundscape" to Paul Simon's 2006 album SURPRISE.

Eno's specialty is providing moody and atmospheric settings for the songs, as well as diverse types of rhythms.  He helped Talking Heads when they were starting to delve into African music, for example.

On a purely irrelevant note, his name is quite often used in as an answer in the crossword puzzle of THE NEW YORK TIMES!