Peter Gabriel rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the
progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on
to a successful solo career. His 1986 album, So, is his most
commercially successful, and the album's biggest hit, "Sledgehammer,"
won a record nine MTV Awards. He has won various Brits and Grammies and
was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. The book
details his time as lead singer of Genesis from its inception until he
went out on his own in 1975 as a singer-songwriter, soundtrack composer,
and innovator in music videos and digital music recording and
distribution. It examines how he became well known as an anti-Apartheid
activist for his efforts to bring different styles of international
music to the attention of the West by establishing the WOMAD (World of
Music, Arts and Dance) Festival, his own Real World label and recording
studios, as well as the addition of world music performers and styles
into his own music. It details his extensive work for Amnesty
International as well as many other humanitarian efforts, such as
founding his own human rights organization, Witness.