“I’m slightly afraid of him”: Gary Kemp’s respect and fear for Robert Fripp
Gary Kemp has described Robert Fripp as his guiding light in music, saying King Crimson’s debut album opened his mind beyond pop. Kemp admires Fripp’s intricate, adventurous guitar work and his willingness to bring it into pop without simplifying it.
Kemp first encountered *In the Court of the Crimson King* as a child and found its mix of rock energy and complexity both challenging and inspiring. He contrasts King Crimson’s intellectual edge with early Pink Floyd, and points to Fripp’s collaborations with David Bowie, particularly on “Heroes” and *Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)*.
- King Crimson’s debut broadened Gary Kemp’s view of music.
- Kemp calls Robert Fripp his musical guiding light.
- He praises Fripp’s intricate sound in pop collaborations.
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Gary Kemp is a musician and songwriter best known as a member of Spandau Ballet, the British pop band that emerged in the late 1970s. Robert Fripp is the guitarist and founder of King Crimson, a band whose music combines rock with complex arrangements and changes in style.
King Crimson’s 1969 debut, In the Court of the Crimson King, helped establish progressive rock, a broad label for rock music that often uses extended pieces and intricate structures. Fripp also worked with David Bowie, including on “Heroes” and the album Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps), bringing his distinctive guitar playing into pop recordings.