"Music is a spiritual doorway. ... Its power comes from the fact that it plugs directly into the soul."

• Born Peter Brian Gabriel on Feb. 13, 1950, in Surrey, England

• As a solo artist, Peter Gabriel earned his big breakthrough with 1986's So, which spawned the No. 1 hit "Sledgehammer."

• Gabriel won his first career GRAMMY for 1989 for Best New Age Performance for Passion — Music For The Last Temptation Of Christ.  

• At the 35th GRAMMYs in 1993, Gabriel performed "Steam" with acrobats from Cirque du Soleil, marking his GRAMMY stage debut. 

• Gabriel is a founding member of Genesis. He was a member of the group from 1967–1975 and garnered a reputation for performing onstage in elaborate costumes.

• In 1992 Gabriel co-founded Witness in response to the brutal beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers. Witness is an international organization that trains a new generation of human rights defenders by providing resources on the safe, effective and ethical use of video.