In 1966, Peter Gabriel saw one singer perform live. At 16, he knew he’d found his calling
In 1966, 16-year-old Peter Gabriel watched Otis Redding perform at the Ram Jam Club in Brixton and decided he wanted to be a musician for life. The encounter helped shape Gabriel’s ambitions before Genesis formed the following year, and shows how a soul singer influenced a future progressive rock frontman.
Gabriel later recalled standing near the front of the club and finding his heroes as Redding sang with trumpeter Wayne Jackson. Although Genesis drew on literary and varied musical influences, Gabriel carried his admiration for soul into his solo career, most visibly on “Sledgehammer”, made with producer Daniel Lanois for the album *So*.
In short
- Otis Redding’s 1966 Brixton gig inspired 16-year-old Peter Gabriel.
- Gabriel decided that night to pursue music for life.
- Soul influences later surfaced in his solo work, including “Sledgehammer”.
Explained simply
Otis Redding was an American soul singer known for his expressive voice and energetic live performances. In 1966, he played at the Ram Jam Club in Brixton, south London, where 16-year-old Peter Gabriel watched from near the front.
Gabriel later became the lead singer of Genesis, a British band formed in 1967 that became known for progressive rock. After leaving the group, he pursued a solo career, drawing on a wider range of sounds, including soul; “Sledgehammer”, made with producer Daniel Lanois, became one of his best-known songs.
The encounter matters because it shows how a live performance can shape a musician’s ambitions and lasting influences. Redding’s music remained part of the background to Gabriel’s work even as his career moved in different directions.