Musician Roger Waters was born on September 6, 1943, in Cambridge, England.
His father was killed fighting German forces in Anzio, Italy, during World War II, without ever seeing Roger live. Raised by his mother, a Communist, Waters developed left-wing views from an early age.
He joined the rock band Pink Floyd (originally known as the Pink Floyd Sound) as bassist in 1967. The single "Arnold Layne" was released that same year and became a smash hit, reaching number 20 in the UK. The band's second single, "See, Emily Play," released the same year, also reached number 6 in the UK.
However, despite the band's successful start, composer Syd Barrett became addicted to drugs and eventually left the band. With Roger becoming a core member, Pink Floyd began to pursue a more distinctive style of music. Two albums reached number one in the UK charts: "Atom Heart Mother" in 1970 and "The Dark Side of the Moon" in 1973. "The Dark Side of the Moon," with all lyrics written by Roger, also reached number one in the US charts, establishing Pink Floyd as one of the world's leading progressive bands. Furthermore, due to the popularity of their concept of depicting the "madness" lurking within humans, Pink Floyd began to focus on concept albums. One of the most famous of these is "The Wall," released in 1979. This album compares the frustrations felt in life to a wall, and tells the story of a young rock star who eventually becomes trapped within it himself. At live concerts, he wowed audiences by building an actual wall in front of the stage. Ultimately, it sold 23 million copies in the US alone, becoming the world's best-selling double album. However, cracks were beginning to appear in the relationships between the band members, and Roger released his first solo album, "Hit Hike Pros and Cons," in 1984. He left the band the following year and continued his solo career. His 1992 album, "Death Affair," was a politically charged work that addressed the Gulf War and the Tiananmen Square incident, reaching no. 8 in the UK. Roger has also repeatedly criticized Israel's policies toward Palestine, and in July 2014, he sent a letter to Neil Young dissuading him from performing with the band. Perhaps in response, Neil canceled a concert in Israel. Divorced three times, he married film director and actress Laurie Durning in 2012. They have two sons, including their daughter, India, who is a model.