Robert John Godfrey

Early career

Born on the Leeds Castle estate in Kent, England, Godfrey was educated at Finchden Manor in Tenterden, which was described by its founder George Lyward as a "therapeutic community for adolescents", other alumni of which included Alexis Korner and Tom Robinson. Although he didn't start to play the piano until the age of twelve, Godfrey's talent was prodigious enough to gain him admission to both the Royal College of Music, then the Royal Academy of Music. He studied under concert pianist Malcolm Binns, and those around him included Sir Michael Tippett, Benjamin Britten and Hans Werner Henze.

Career

From 1968 to 1971 Godfrey became resident musical director with Barclay James Harvest, making musical contributions to early recordings which established their full, orchestral style of rock music. The relationship fell apart and accounts differ as to why. For a short time after this, Godfrey played in the band Siddartha. In 1974 the Charisma Records label released his first solo work, Fall of Hyperion. Although not a commercial success at the time, this work has since become collectable.

Godfrey is gay, and claimed this was one reason he was fired from BJH. “It was the band’s girlfriends who forced the issue,” he told Classic Rock magazine. ‘‘They were from the Lancashire/Yorkshire area and couldn’t handle the idea of a gay man like me with a plummy accent.’’

He then went on to form The Enid.

Godfrey was the winner of the Visionary award at the 2014 Progressive Music Awards.

He has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. In 2016, he retired from playing with The Enid due to his illness. His last regular performance with the band took place on 2, April 2016. However, in June 2017, it was announced that Godfrey would be joining The Enid in August of that year to celebrate his 70th birthday with a one-off performance at the Union Chapel in London.

Discography

"Fall of Hyperion" track listing

1. "The Raven" (8:46)
2. "Mountains" (6:56)
3. "Water Song" (5:57)
4. "End of Side 1" (0:04)
5. "Isault" (5:10)
6. "The Daemon Of The World" (14:44)
   1. "The Arrival Of The Phoenix"
   2. "Across The Abyss"
   3. "'The Daemon"
   4. "The Wanderer"
   5. "IHS"
   6. "Tuba Mirum"

Personnel