Claim: Brian Eno studied painting.

Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , RDI -LRB- -LSB- ˈiːnoʊ -RSB- born 15 May 1948 and originally christened Brian Peter George Eno -RRB- is an English musician , composer , record producer , singer , writer , and visual artist . He is best known for his pioneering work in rock , ambient , pop , and electronic music . A self-described `` non-musician '' , Eno has helped to introduce a variety of unique conceptual approaches and recording techniques into contemporary music , advocating a methodology of `` theory over practice '' throughout his career . He has been described as one of popular music 's most influential and innovative figures .   Born in Suffolk , Eno studied painting and experimental music at art school in the late 1960s before joining glam rock group Roxy Music as synthesizer player in 1971 . After recording two albums with the band , he departed in 1973 to record a number of solo albums , contributing to and ultimately coining the concept of ambient music with works such as Another Green World -LRB- 1975 -RRB- , Discreet Music -LRB- 1975 -RRB- , and Music for Airports -LRB- 1978 -RRB- . He took part in frequent collaborations with artists such as Robert Fripp , Harold Budd , Cluster , David Bowie on his `` Berlin Trilogy '' , and David Byrne on 1981 's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts . During the 1970s , Eno would also begin a parallel career as a producer , which included work on albums by Talking Heads and Devo , the no wave compilation No New York -LRB- 1978 -RRB- , and recordings by avant-garde artists such as John Cale , Jon Hassell , Laraaji , and Harold Budd , among others .   In subsequent decades , Eno continued to record solo albums , collaborate , and produce for other artists , including U2 , Coldplay , Laurie Anderson , James , Grace Jones , and Slowdive . Dating back to his time as a student , he has also pursued a variety of multimedia projects in parallel with his music career , including sound installations and his mid-70s co-development of Oblique Strategies , a deck of cards featuring cryptic aphorisms  intended to spur creative thinking . He continues to release music , produce , and write , and maintains a regular column in Prospect Magazine .