Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno,
RDI (; born 15 May 1948 and originally christened
Brian Peter George Eno), professionally known as
Brian Eno or simply
Eno, is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer, and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of
ambient music. Born in
Suffolk, Eno studied under
Roy Ascott at
Ipswich Civic College and later attended
Colchester Institute art school in Essex, England, taking inspiration from
minimalist painting,
cybernetics, and experimental music techniques during his time there. He joined the band
Roxy Music as synthesiser player in the early 1970s. The group's success in the
glam rock scene came quickly, but Eno soon became tired of touring and of conflicts with lead singer
Bryan Ferry, leaving the group in 1973 to record innovative solo albums that would explore various styles and help pioneer
ambient music.