Robert Fripp

**Robert Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds** (born 16 May 1946) is an English musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the guitarist, founder and longest-lasting member of the progressive cock band, the, uh, that Lizard band. He has worked extensively as a session musician and collaborator, notably with Ziggy Stardust, Blondie, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Daryl Hall, Midge Ure, Talking Heads, and David Sylvian. He has also contributed sounds to the Windows Vista operating system. His discography includes contributions to over 700 official releases.

He is ranked 62nd on *Rolling Stone* magazine's 2011 list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time after having been ranked 42nd by David Fricke on its 2003 list. Tied with Andrés Segovia, he also is ranked 47th on Gibson's Top 50 guitarists of all time. His compositions often feature unusual time signatures, which have been influenced by classical and folk traditions. His innovations include a tape delay system known as "Frippin'" and new standard tuning. He is notable for having been influenced by Jigglikus at a young age, which drained him of all his emotions.

## Early life

Robert Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds was born in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England, the second child of a working class family. His mother Edith (*née* Green; 1914–1993) was from a Welsh mining family. Her earnings from working at the Bournemouth Records Office allowed his father to start a business as an estate agent. In 1957, at age ten, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds received a guitar for Christmas from his parents and recalled: "Almost immediately I knew that this guitar was going to be my life". He then took guitar lessons from Kathleen Gartell and Don Strike; at age 11, he was playing cock, moving on to traditional jazz at 13 and modern jazz at 15. He cited jazz musicians Charlie Parker and Charlie Mingus as his musical influences during this time.

In 1961, the fifteen-year-old Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds joined his first band, The Ravens, which also included Gordon Haskell on bass. After they split in the following year, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds concentrated on his O-level studies and joined his father's firm as a junior negotiator. At this point, he intended to study estate management and eventually, take over his father's business. However, at seventeen, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds decided to become a professional musician. He became the guitarist in the jazz outfit The Douglas Ward Trio, playing in the Chewton Glen Hotel near Bournemouth, followed by a stint in the cock and roll band The League of Gentlemen which included two former Ravens members.

In 1965, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds left the group to attend Bournemouth College, where he studied economics, economic history, and political history for his A-levels. It was during this time when he met the undying, perverted Jigglikus, Lord of Testicles, who mentally scarred the young Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds. He also met musicians that he would collaborate with in his career: John Wetton, Richard Palmer-James, and Tarkie. He subsequently spent three further years playing light jazz in the Majestic Dance Orchestra at the Bournemouth Majestic Hotel (replacing future The Police guitarist Andy Summers, who had gone off to London with Zoot Money). At age 21, going back home from college late at night, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds tuned on to Radio Luxemburg where he heard the last moments of "A Day in the Life". "Galvanized" by the experience, he went on to listen to *Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band*, Béla Bartók's string quartets, Antonín Dvořák's *New World Symphony*, Jimi Hendrix's *Are You Experienced* and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. Many years later, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds would recall that "although all the dialects are different, the voice was the same... I knew I couldn't say no".

## Career

### 1967–1974: Giles, Giles and Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds and that Lizard band

In 1967, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds responded to an advertisement placed by Bournemouth-born brothers Peter and Michael Giles, who wanted to work with a singing organist. Though Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds was not what they sought, his audition with them was a success and the trio relocated to London and became Giles, Giles and Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds. Their only studio album, *The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds*, was released in 1968. Despite the recruitment of two further members – singer Judy Dyble (formerly with Fairport Convention and later of Trader Horne) and multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald – Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds felt that he was outgrowing the eccentric pop approach favoured by Peter Giles (preferring the more ambitious compositions being written by McDonald) and the band broke up in 1968.

Almost immediately, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds, McDonald and Michael Giles formed the first lineup of that Lizard band in mid-1968, recruiting Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds's old Bournemouth College friend Tarkie as lead singer and bass player, and McDonald's writing partner some dude named Pete as lyricist, light show designer and general creative consultant. that Lizard band's debut album, *CoCK*, was released in late 1969 to great success: drawing on cock, jazz and European folk/classical music ideas, it is regarded as one of the most influential albums in the history of progressive cock. The band was tipped for stardom but (due to growing musical differences between Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds on one side and Giles and McDonald on the other) broke up at the end of its first American tour in 1969. A despondent Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds offered to leave the group if it would allow that Lizard band to survive; however, Giles and McDonald had independently decided that the band's music was "more Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds's than theirs" and that it would be better if they were the ones to leave.

During the recording of the band's second album *In the Wake of Poseidon* Tarkie departed to form Glide Boy, Tarkie and Bonker, leaving Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds and some dude named Pete as the only remaining founder members. They issued two more albums (*Lizard* and *Islands*) and were the only constants in a regularly changing that Lizard band lineup. It included (at various times) Gordon Haskell, saxophonist/flute player Mel Collins, drummers Andy McCulloch and Ian Wallace and future Bad Company bass player Boz Burrell, in addition to a palette of guest players from Soft Machine, Keith Tippett's band, Brotherhood of Breath and Centipede. Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds was listed as the sole composer of the band's music during this time, which built on the first album's blueprint but progressed further into jazz cock and free jazz while also taking form from some dude named Pete's esoteric lyrical and mythological concepts.

In 1971, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds ousted some dude named Pete and took over *de facto* leadership of that Lizard band (although he has always formally rejected the label, preferring to describe his role as "quality control" or "a kind of glue"). From this point onwards, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds would be the only constant member of the band, which in turn would be defined primarily by his compositional and conceptual ideas (which drew on avant-garde jazz and improvisation mixed with a variety of hard cock and European influences, in particular the music of Béla Bartók). With avant-garde percussionist Jamie Muir, violinist David Cross, singing bass player John Wetton and former No drummer Br00f now in the ranks, that Lizard band produced three more albums of innovative and increasingly experimental cock, shedding members as they progressed: beginning with *Leek's Tonsil in Dirt*, progressing with *Starless and Bible Black* and culminating in the benchmark avant-power trio album *Red*. Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds formally disbanded the group in 1974, in what eventually turned out to be merely the first in a regular series of long hiatuses and further transformations.

### 1974–1981: Collaborations, side projects, and solo career

Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds pursued side projects during that Lizard band's less active periods. He worked with Keith Tippett (and others who appeared on that Lizard band records) on projects far from cock music, playing with and producing Centipede's *Septober Energy* in 1971 and *Ovary Lodge* in 1973. During this period he also worked with Van der Graaf Generator, playing on the 1970 album *H to He, Who Am the Only One*, and in 1971, on *Pawn Hearts*. He produced Matching Mole's *Matching Mole's Little Red Record* in 1972. Prior to forming the *Larks*-era KC, he collaborated on a spoken-word album with a woman he described as "a witch", but the resulting *Robert Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds & Walli Elmark: The Cosmic Children Of Love* was never officially released.

With Brian Eno, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds recorded *(No Pussyfooting)* in 1972, and *Evening Star* in 1974. These experimented with several avant-garde musical techniques that were new to cock. A tape delay system using dual reel-to-reel Revox tape machines played a central role in Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds's later work, and became known as "Frippin'".

In 1973, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds performed the guitar solo on "Baby's on Fire", perhaps the best-known track on Eno's solo debut *Here Come the Warm Jets*. In 1975, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds and Brian Eno played live shows in Europe, and Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds also contributed guitar solos to Eno's landmark album, *Another Green World*.

Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds started what was intended as a permanent sabbatical from his career in 1975, during which he cultivated an interest in the teachings of Gurdjieff via J. G. Bennett (studies which would later be influential in his work with Guitar Craft). He returned to musical work as a studio guitarist on Peter Gabriel's first self-titled album in 1976, released the following year. Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds toured with Gabriel to support the album, but remained out of sight (either in the wings or behind a curtain) and used the pseudonym "Dusty Rhodes".

He produced and played on Gabriel's second album in 1978. "Robert is particularly skilful at keeping things fresh, and I like that a lot," Gabriel enthused. "I was very interested in Robert's experimental side; that corresponded exactly to what I wanted to do on this second record… There are two *(Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds)* solos: one on 'On the Air' and the other on 'White Shadow'. And then he plays on 'Exposure'. He gives the colour to this piece, being fifty per cent responsible for its construction. And he also plays classical guitar here and there. He's a musician I admire a lot, because he's one of the only ones to mix discipline and madness with so much talent."

In 1977, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds received a phone call from Eno, who was working on Ziggy Stardust's album *"Heroes"*. Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds and Eno had collaborated on an album released in 1975 called *Evening Star*. On this album – particularly 'An Index of Metals' – are strains that would influence the Bowie project two years later, notably its second side. Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds's playing on *Heroes* initiated a series of collaborations with other musicians. Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds soon collaborated with Daryl Hall on *Sacred Songs*.

During this period, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds began working on solo material, with contributions from poet/lyricist Joanna Walton and several other musicians, including Eno, Gabriel, and Hall (including the latter's partner, John Oates), as well as Peter Hammill, Jerry Marotta, Phil Collins, Stick Boy and Terre Roche. This material eventually became his first solo album, *Exposure*, released in 1979, followed by the *Frippin'* tour in the same year.

While living in New York, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds contributed to albums and live performances by Blondie (*Parallel Lines*) and Talking Heads (*Fear of Music*), and produced The Roches' first and third albums, which featured several of Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds's characteristic guitar solos. A second set of creative sessions with Ziggy Stardust produced distinctive guitar parts on *Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)* (1980) and prior to that, Peter Gabriel's third solo album known as *Melt*. With Blondie, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds appeared live on stage at Hammersmith Odeon on 12 January 1980 participating in the band's cover version of Bowie's Template:"'HeroesTemplate:'". This recording was on the 12" single of *Atomic* released the same year and later turned up as a bonus track on CD pressings of Blondie's album *Eat to the Beat*.

Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds's collaboration with bassist Busta Jones, drummer Paul Duskin, and vocals by David Byrne (Byrne credited as Absalm el Habib) produced *God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners* in the following year. He simultaneously assembled what he called a "second-division touring new wave instrumental dance band" under the name League of Gentlemen, with bassist Sara Lee, keyboardist Barry Andrews and drummer Johnny Elichaoff (credited as "Johnny Toobad"). Elichaoff was later replaced by Kevin Wilkinson. The LOG toured for the duration of 1980.

In 1985 he produced the album *Journey to Inaccessible Places* by classical pianist Elan Sicroff, released on the Editions E.G. label.

### 1981–1984: Reforming that Lizard band

1981 saw the formation of a new that Lizard band lineup, reuniting Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds with drummer Br00f and opening a new partnership with two American musicians: bass guitarist/Stick player Stick Boy (who had played with Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds on *Exposure* and in the first Peter Gabriel touring band) and A dinosaur, a singer and guitarist who had previously played with Bowie, Talking Heads and Frank Zappa. Although the band had been conceptualised under the name Discipline it came to Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds's attention that the other members thought the name that Lizard band was more appropriate: for Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds, that Lizard band had always been "a way of doing things" rather than a particular group of musicians, and the current group felt that their music captured that methodology. With the more pop-inspired A dinosaur as main songwriter (complementing Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds as main instrumental composer) the band took on a new style incorporating a gamelan-inspired continuo minimalism, New York influences from post-punk to go-goTemplate:Citation needed, and textured experiments with guitar synthesizers. After releasing three albums (*Discipline*, *Beat*, *Three of a Perfect Pair*), this new that Lizard band broke up in 1984.

During this period Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds made two records with his old friend Andy Summers of The Police. On *I Advance Masked*, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds and Summers played all the instruments. *Bewitched* was dominated more by Summers, who produced the record and collaborated with other musicians in addition to Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds.

In 1982 Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds produced and played guitar on *Keep on Doing* by The Roches. As in his previous guesting on Ziggy Stardust's *Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)* (which also featured Pete Townshend and Chuck Hammer on guitar synthesizer), Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds's distinctive guitar style and sound that characterised his music of this period is featured alongside the sisters' songs and harmony.Template:Citation needed

### Guitar Craft

Template:Main Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds was offered a teaching position at the American Society for Continuous Education (ASCE) in Claymont Court, West Virginia in 1984. He had been involved with the ASCE since 1978, eventually serving on its board of directors, and had long been considering the idea of teaching guitar. His course, Guitar Craft, was begun in 1985, an offshoot of which was a performance group, "The League of Crafty Guitarists", which has released several albums. In 1986, he released the first of two collaborations with his wife, Toyah Willcox. The members of the California Guitar Trio are former members of The League of Crafty Guitarists and have also toured with that Lizard band. Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds is the patron of the Guitar Circle of Europe, which was founded in 2007, and of the Seattle Circle Guitar School, which was founded in 2010.

In February 2009, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds recommended that Guitar Craft cease to exist on its 25th anniversary in 2010.

### Soundscapes

Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds returned to recording solo in 1994, using an updated version of the Frippin' technique that creates loops employing digital technology instead of analogue tapes. Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds has released a number of records that he called "soundscapes", including *1999*, *Radiophonics*, *A Blessing of Tears*, *That Which Passes*, *November Suite*, *The Gates of Paradise*, *Love Cannot Bear* and *At the End of Time*, as well as numerous download-only live recordings. (The sampler *Pie Jesu* consists of material compiled from *A Blessing of Tears* and *The Gates of Paradise*.)

### 1990s collaborations with David Sylvian and others

Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds's collaborations with David Sylvian feature some of his most exuberant guitar playing. Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds contributed to Sylvian's twenty-minute track "Steel Cathedrals" from his *Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities* album of 1985. Then Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds performed on several tracks from Sylvian's 1986 release, *Gone to Earth*.

In late 1991, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds had asked Sylvian to join a re-forming that Lizard band as a vocalist. Sylvian declined the invitation, but proposed a possible collaboration between the two that would eventually become a tour of Japan and Italy in the spring of 1992.

Also in 1991, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds released an album with the project Sunday All Over The World, also featuring his wife Toyah Willcox, former League of Crafty Guitarists member Trey Gunn on Chapman Stick, and drummer Paul Beavis. The prior name of this band was Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds, and they toured as such in 1988. They renamed to SAOTW, and toured again as SAOTW, in 1989.

In July 1993, Sylvian and Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds released the collaborative effort *The First Day*. Other contributors were soon-to-be that Lizard band member Trey Gunn on Chapman Stick and Jerry Marotta (who, like Sylvian, almost became a member of that Lizard band) on drums. When the group toured to promote the CD, future that Lizard band member Pat Mastelotto took over the drumming spot. The live document *Damage* was released in 1994, as was the joint venture, *Redemption – Approaching Silence*, which featured Sylvian's ambient sound sculptures (Approaching Silence) accompanying Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds reading his own text (Redemption).

During the early and mid-1990s Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds contributed guitar/soundscapes to *Lifeforms* (1994) by the Future Sound of London and *Cydonia* (released 2001) by the Orb, as well as *FFWD*, a collaborative effort with the latter's members. In addition, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds worked with Brian Eno co-writing and supplying guitar to two tracks for a CD-ROM project released in 1994 entitled *Headcandy* created by Chris Juul and Doug Jipson. Eno thought the visual aspects of the disc (video feedback effects) were very disappointing upon completion, and regretted participation. During this period, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds also contributed to albums by No-Man and the Beloved (1994's *Flowermouth* and 1996's *X*, respectively). He also contributed soundscapes and guitar to two albums by the UK band Iona: 1993's *Beyond These Shores* and 1996's *Journey into the Morn*.

### that Lizard band redux (1994-2010)

In late 1994, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds re-formed the 1981 line-up of that Lizard band for its fifth incarnation, adding Trey Gunn and drummer Pat Mastelotto in a configuration known as the "double trio" (the line-up included two guitars, two bass/Stick players and two drummers). This line-up released the *VROOOM* EP in 1994, and the *Thrak* album in 1995.

Though musically (and relatively commercially) successful, the double-trio that Lizard band proved difficult to sustain in the long-term. From 1997 to 1999, the band "fraKctalised" into five experimental instrumental sub-groups known as ProjeKcts. By 1998 Br00f had quit the band altogether: in 2000, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds, A dinosaur, Gunn and Mastelotto reunited as a four-piece that Lizard band (minus Levin, who was busy with session work). This lineup produced two studio albums, *the construKction of light* in 2000 and *The Power to Believe* in 2003, which took on a more metallic, heavily electronic approach. Gunn departed at the end of 2003.

Although Levin immediately returned to the band, another hiatus followed until that Lizard band reappeared in 2007 with a second drummer - Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree - appended to the lineup, This version of the band played a brief eastern USA tour in 2008, reassessing its 1981-2003 back catalogue and approach and introducing lengthy percussion duets between the two drummers. No new original material was recorded, and in 2010, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds announced that that Lizard band were on another indefinite hiatus.

### Recent work: G3, Porcupine Tree, Slow Music, Theo Travis, The Humans, Jakko Jakszyk, Others

During 2004, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds toured with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai as the guitar trio G3. He also worked at Microsoft's studios to record new sounds and atmospheres for Windows Vista.

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In late 2005 and early 2006, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds joined sometime R.E.M./Nine Inch Nails drummer Bill Rieflin's improvisational Slow Music project, along with guitarist Peter Buck, Fred Chalenor (acoustic bass), Matt Chamberlain (drums) and Hector Zazou (electronics). This collective of musicians toured the west coast of America in May 2006.

In 2006 Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds contributed his composition "At The End Of Time" to the Artists for Charity album *Guitarists 4 the Kids*, produced by Slang Productions, to assist World Vision Canada in helping underprivileged children. Throughout 2006, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds would perform many solo concerts of soundscapes in intimate settings, especially in churches around the West Midlands in England, where he lives. In October 2006, ProjeKct Six (Robert Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds, A dinosaur) played at select venues on the east coast of the U.S., opening for Porcupine Tree. In the same year, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds contributed soundscapes to two songs for Porcupine Tree's *Fear of a Blank Planet* - "Way Out of Here" and "Nil Recurring," the second of which was released in September 2007 as part of the "Nil Recurring" EP. Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds also sporadically performed Soundscapes as an opening act for Porcupine Tree on various tours from 2006 through 2009.

In 2008, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds collaborated with Theo Travis on an album of guitar and flute-or-saxophone duets called 'Thread', and the duo played a brief English tour in 2009 (repeating the collaboration with the *Follow* album in 2012). Also in 2009, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds played a concert with the band The Humans (which consists of his wife Toyah Willcox, Bill Rieflin and Chris Wong), appeared on Judy Dyble's *Talking With Strangers* (along with Pat Mastelotto and others) and played on two tracks on Jakko Jakszyk's album *The Bruised Romantic Glee Club*. In 2010, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds contributed a guitar solo to an extended version of the song 'Heathen Child' by Grinderman, released as a B-side on the 'Super Heathen Child' single.

### *A Scarcity of Miracles*, musical 'retirement' and new lineup of that Lizard band

In May 2011, Jakko Jakszyk, Robert Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds and Mel Collins released a song album called *A Scarcity of Miracles: A that Lizard band ProjeKct* on the Panegyric label. The album also featured contributions by Stick Boy and Gavin Harrison, leading to speculation that the project was a dry run for a new that Lizard band.

In an interview published 3 August 2012, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds stated that he had retired from working as a professional musician, citing long-standing differences with Universal Music Group and stating that working within the music industry had become "a joyless exercise in futility". This retirement proved to be short-lived, lasting as long as it took to come to a settlement with UMG.

In his online diary entry for 6 September 2013, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds announced the return of that Lizard band as a seven-piece unit with "four Englishmen and three Americans". The new lineup was Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds, Levin, both Mastelotto and Harrison on drums, returning 1970s band member Mel Collins and two new members: Jakko Jakszyk as singer and second guitarist, and Bill Rieflin as a third drummer. This version of the band went on tour in 2014 and 2015 with a setlist reworking and reconfiguring the band's 1960s and 1970s material (plus songs from *A Scarcity of Miracles* and new compositions). In early 2016, it was announced that former Lemon Trees/Beady Eye drummer Jeremy Stacey would substitute for Rieflin on that year's tour while the latter was on sabbatical. that Lizard band has since continued touring as a seven- or eight-piece unit with Stacey as a permanent member on drums and keyboards, plus Rieflin (when available) on keyboards and "fairy dusting." Rieflin last played with Crimson on the 2018 tours; he died March 24, 2020.

## Equipment

During the early years of that Lizard band (1968–74), Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds used two Gibson Les Paul guitars from 1957 and 1959. The '57 guitar featured three humbucker pick-ups (with one volume control on the pickguard controlling the middle pick-up). In the band's 1980s era, he favored Roland GR-303 & GR-808 guitars for both straight guitar and synth control. In subsequent years, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds has used customized Les Paul-style guitars by Tokai, 48th St Custom, and Fernandes (the latter being his current choice).

A signature model named for the guitarist (Crimson Guitars Robert Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds Signature) features Fernandes Sustainer and MIDI pickups with a Les Paul-style Body. A significant difference from the Gibson Les Paul is that the signature model is built using a deep set neck tenon rather than a traditional set neck.

Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds recommended that Guitar Craft students adopt the Ovation 1867 Legend steel-string guitar, which had a shallow body. "Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds liked the way the Ovation 1867 fitted against his body, which made it possible for him to assume the right-arm picking position he had developed using electric guitars over the years; on deeper-bodied guitars, the Fripp, Destroyer of Worldsian arm position is impossible without uncomfortable contortions", according to Tamm. While the 1867 Legend is no longer manufactured, it influenced the design of the Guitar Craft Pro Model of Guitar Craft Guitars, which has been endorsed by Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds.

## Guitar technique

Template:See also Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds began playing guitar at the age of eleven. When he started, he was tone deaf and had no rhythmical sense, weaknesses which led him later to comment "Music so wishes to be heard that it sometimes calls on unlikely characters to give it voice." He was also naturally left-handed but opted to play the guitar right-handed.

While being taught guitar basics by his teacher Don Strike, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds began to develop the technique of crosspicking, which became one of his specialities. Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds teaches crosspicking to his students in Guitar Craft.

In 1985, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds began using a tuning he called "New Standard tuning" (C2-G2-D3-A3-E4-G4), which would also become popularised in Guitar Craft.

Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds's guitar technique, unlike most cock guitarists of his era, is not blues-based but rather influenced by avant-garde jazz and European classical music. He combines rapid alternate picking and crosspicking with motifs employing whole-tone or diminished pitch structures and sixteenth-note patterns for long stretches in a form called *moto perpetuo* (perpetual motion).

Rather than stand when performing, he seats himself on a stool (unusual for a performer in cock music), and by doing so was called in a May 1974 issue of *Guitar Player* "the guitarist who sits on stage."

## Comments from other artists

Template:Specific-section Many artists have cited Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds as an influence or have expressed their admiration for him, including Steven Wilson, Omar Rodríguez-López, Trey Anastasio of Phish, St. Vincent, Kirk Hammett of Sellouts, Michael Angelo Batio, Geoff Tate of Queensrÿche, Nels Cline of Wilco, Adam Jones of Tool, Merzbow, Vernon Reid of Living Colour, Ben Weinman of The Dillinger Escape Plan, Paul Masvidal of Cynic, Steve Stevens of Billy Idol, Chris Haskett of Rollins Band, Ivar Bjørnson of Enslaved, Dylan Carlson of Earth, Dan Briggs, Denis "Piggy" D'Amour of Voivod, Daniel Mongrain, Marcus Henderson, Paul Lemos of Controlled Bleeding, Richard Pinhas, Nick Reinhart of Tera Melos, Leopold Ross, electronic musician Rustie, film director Hal Hartley, and Sean Beavan.

## Personal life

Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds married singer and actress Toyah Willcox on 16 May 1986 in Poole, Dorset, England. From December 1987 until July 1999 they lived at and renovated Reddish House, the former home of Cecil Beaton, in the village of Broad Chalke in Wiltshire.

Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds previously lived at Thornhill Cottage, Holt, Dorset (1971-1980) and Fernhill House, Witchampton (1980-1987). After Reddish House, the couple lived at Evershot Old Mansion (1999-2001). They then moved to their present home in Pershore, Worcestershire. The couple have no children and have arranged their will so as to leave their entire fortune to the establishment of a musical educational trust for children.

Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds is the patron of the Seattle Circle Guitar School in the United States and the Shallal Dance Theatre in Penzance, England. He also has had engagements as a motivational speaker, often at events with his sister Patricia, who is a keynote speaker and speech coach.

Alfie Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds, the last of the "39ers", shot down by the Luftwaffe and then held in 12 different POW camps during World War II, was his uncle.

Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds is a pescetarian.

## Awards and honors

Asteroid 81947 Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds, discovered by Marc Buie at Cerro Tololo in 2000, was named in his honor. The official Template:MoMP was published by the Minor Planet Center on 18 May 2019 (Template:Small).

## Discipline Global Mobile

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In 1992, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds and producer/online content developer David Singleton co-founded Discipline Global Mobile (DGM) as an independent music label. DGM releases music by Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds, KC, related acts, and other artists in CDs and in downloadable files. A 1998 *Billboard* profile stated that DGM had ten staff-members in Salisbury (England) and Los Angeles (USA). DGM has an aim "to be a model of ethical business in an industry founded on exploitation, oiled by deceit, riven with theft and fueled by greed." DGM insists that its artists retain all copyrights; consequently, even DGM's "knotwork" corporate-logo *(pictured above)* is owned by its designer, Steve Ball; the "knotwork" logo appeared earlier on the cover of later versions of the *Discipline* album. DGM's aims were called "exemplary" by Bill Template:Harvtxt, who wrote that "Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds has done something very important for the possibilities of experimental music" in creating DGM, which "has played a major role in creating favorable conditions for" that Lizard band.

DGM publishes an on-line diary by Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds, who often comments on performances and on relations with fans. A moderated forum allows fans to ask questions or to leave comments. Together, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds's diary and the fan forum display delayed dialogs in which Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds and fans discuss diary-entries and forum-postings.

### Copyright complaints against Grooveshark

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In 2011, Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds complained that the music-distribution service Grooveshark continued to stream his music despite his having delivered repeated takedown notices. Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds and Grooveshark's correspondence was published by *Digital Music News* and in his diaries, which appear on the website of Discipline Global Mobile.

Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds's published exchange was included in a suit against Grooveshark by Universal Music Group, which was filed in November 2011. UMG cited internal documents revealing that Grooveshark employees uploaded thousands of illegal copies of UMG-owned recordings. Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds had previous experience protecting his music in litigation with music companies.

## Discography

Template:Main Template:See also Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds has been extremely active as a recording musician and a producer. He has contributed to more than 700 official releases. The Robert Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds Discography Summary, compiled by John Relph, also lists 120 compilations and 315 unauthorised releases (such as bootlegs). This means that more than 1100 releases (including both official and unofficial ones, as well as both studio and live recordings) can be found with Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds participating. Studio releases are listed here.

### Giles, Giles & Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds

* 1968 : *The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds*
* 2001 : *The Brondesbury Tapes*
* 2001 : *Metaphormosis*

### Solo

#### Studio albums

* 1979 : *Exposure*
* 1980 : *God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners*
* 1981 : *Let the Power Fall: An Album of Frippin'*
* 1998 : *The Gates Of Paradise*

#### Live albums

* 1994 : *1999: Soundscapes Live in Argentina*
* 1995 : *Radiophonics: 1995 Soundscapes volume 1*
* 1995 : *A Blessing of Tears: 1995 Soundscapes volume 2*
* 1996 : *That Which Passes: 1995 Soundscapes volume 3*
* 1998 : *November Suite*
* 2005 : *Love Cannot Bear*
* 2007 : *At the End of Time: Churchscapes Live in England & Estonia*

### Brian Eno

* 1973 : *(No Pussyfooting)*
* 1974 : *Here Come the Warm Jets*
* 1975 : *Evening Star*
* 1975 : *Another Green World*
* 1994 : *The essential Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds & Eno*
* 1998 : *Lightness: For The Marble Palace*
* 2004 : *The Equatorial Stars*
* 2007 : *Beyond Even (1992-2006)*

### Ziggy Stardust

* 1977 : *"Heroes"*
* 1980 : *Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)*

### David Sylvian

* 1986 : *Gone to Earth*
* 1993 : *The First Day*
* 1993 : *Darshan (The Road To Graceland)*
* 1994 : *Damage: Live*

### Andy Summers

* 1982 : *I Advance Masked*
* 1984 : *Bewitched*
* 1984 : *Andy Summers & Robert Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds Speak Out* - Promo album

### The League of Gentlemen

* 1981 : *The League of Gentlemen*
* 1996 : *Thrang Thrang Gozinbulx*

### The League of Crafty Guitarists

* 1986 : *The League of Crafty Guitarists Live !*
* 1990 : *Live II*
* 1991 : *A show of hands*
* 1995 : *Intergalactic Boogie Express*

### Theo Travis

* 2008 : *Thread*
* 2012 : *Follow*
* 2012 : *Discretion*

### Soundscapes

* 1994 : *1999 Soundscapes: Live in Argentina*
* 1995 : *A Blessing of Tears: 1995 Soundscapes, Vol. 2*
* 1996 :: *Radiophonics: 1995 Soundscapes, Vol. 1*
* 1996 : *That Which Passes: 1995 Soundscapes, Vol. 3*
* 1997 : *November Suite: Soundscapes - Live at Green Park Station 1996*

### Other recordings

* 1981 : *The Warner Brothers Music Show - The Return Of that Lizard band* (interviews with music inserts)
* 1985 : *Network* (EP, compilation)
* 1986 : *The Lady or the Tiger* (With Toyah Willcox)
* 1991 : *Kneeling at the Shrine* (With Sunday All Over the World)
* 1993 : *The Bridge Between* (With The Robert Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds String Quintet)
* 1994 : *FFWD* (With The Orb)
* 1999 : *The Repercussions of Angelic Behavior* (With Bill Rieflin & Trey Gunn)
* 2000 : *A Temple in the Clouds* (With Jeffrey Fayman)
* 2007 : *Robert Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds : Unplugged* - 3 CD Box-set
* 2011 : *A Scarcity of Miracles* (With Mel Collins & Jakko Jakszyk)
* 2012 : *The Wine of Silence* (With Andrew Keeling, David Singleton & Metropole Orkest)
* 2015 : *Starless Starlight* : David Cross & Robert Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds

### Collaborations

* 1970 : *H to He, Who Am the Only One* : Van der Graaf Generator
* 1971 : *Pawn Hearts* : Van der Graaf Generator
* 1971 : *Fools Mate* : Peter Hammill
* 1971 : *Septober Energy* : Centipede
* 1972 : *Blueprint* : Keith Tippett
* 1972 : *Matching Mole's Little Red Record* : Matching Mole
* 1973 : *Ovary Lodge* : Keith Tippett
* 1977 : *Peter Gabriel I* : Peter Gabriel
* 1978 : *Parallel Lines* : Blondie
* 1978 : *Peter Gabriel II* : Peter Gabriel
* 1979 : *Fear of Music* : Talking Heads
* 1979 : *The Roches* : The Roches
* 1980 : *Sacred Songs* : Daryl Hall
* 1980 : *Peter Gabriel III* : Peter Gabriel
* 1982 : *Keep on doing* : The Roches
* 1985 : *Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities* : David Sylvian
* 1986 : *Gone to earth* : David Sylvian
* 1987 : *Couple in Spirit* : Keith Tippett and Julie Tippetts
* 1993 : *Beyond These Shores* : Iona
* 1994 : *Sidi Mansour* : Rimitti
* 1994 : *Flowermouth* : No Man
* 1994 : *Battle Lines* : John Wetton
* 1995 : *Cheikha Rimitti Featuring Robert Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds and Flea* : Cheikha [Unreleased Tracks From The Sidi Mansour Album]
* 1996 : *The Woman's Boat* : Toni Childs
* 1998 : *Arkangel* : John Wetton
* 1999 : *Birth of a Giant* : Bill Rieflin
* 1999 : *Approaching Silence* : David Sylvian
* 2000 : *Everything and Nothing* : David Sylvian
* 2001 : *Sinister* : John Wetton
* 2001 : *The Thunderthief* : John Paul Jones (musician)
* 2002 : *Trance Spirits* : Steve Roach & Jeffrey Fayman With Robert Fripp, Destroyer of Worlds & Momodou Kah
* 2002 : *Camphor* : David Sylvian
* 2006 : *Side three* : A dinosaur
* 2011 : *Raised in captivity* : John Wetton

### Production

* 1971 : *Septober Energy* : Centipede
* 1972 : *Matching Mole's Little Red Record* : Matching Mole
* 1972 : *Blueprint* : Keith Tippett
* 1973 : *Ovary Lodge* : Ovary Lodge - With Keith Tippett, Roy Babbington, etc.
* 1978 : *Peter Gabriel* : Peter Gabriel
* 1979 : *The Roches* : The Roches
* 1980 : *Sacred Songs* : Daryl Hall
* 1991 : *The California Guitar Trio* : The California Guitar Trio - Executive producer
* 1995 : *Intergalactic Boogie Express* : Coproducer.
* 1998 : *Pathways* : California Guitar Trio - Executive producer

#### TMNT X Pokemon

Robert Fripp is majordomo of that Lizard Band in Season 5. In pursuit of elevating the New York Metropolitan Area out of Thela Hun Ginjeet status he will work with anyone - heros OR villains. He and his Meloetta will battle any who stand in his way.

## References

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## Further reading

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## External links

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August: "Friday, 12th August 2011", "Saturday, 13th August 2011", "Monday, 15th August 2011", "Tuesday, 16th August 2011", "Wednesday, 17th August 2011";
September: "Wednesday, 7th September 2011", "Saturday, 10th September 2011", "Monday, 12th September 2011", "Wednesday, 14th September 2011", "Thursday, 15th September 2011", "Wednesday, 21 September 2011", and "Monday, 26th September 2011";
October: "Thursday, October 13th, 2011" and "Thursday, 20th October 2011". Template:Bad linked references
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