John Cale

John Cale

John Cale is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. Born in 1942 in Garnant, Wales, he speaks Welsh as his first language and begins learning English at school at the age of seven. He studies viola at Goldsmiths College, University of London, where he becomes involved in avant-garde music, then travels to the United States to continue his studies with help from Aaron Copland. In the U.S. he works with a number of avant-garde composers, including John Cage, and develops an interest in Anglo-American art movements.

Career

Cale is a founding member of The Velvet Underground, which he co-founds with Lou Reed in 1965. He leaves the group in 1968, later being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 1996. He is also a member of The Theatre of Eternal Music. His work spans art pop, art rock, avant-garde pop, baroque pop, drone, experimental rock, rock, proto-punk and classical music, and he is known for a style that shifts from string and piano arrangements to harsh avant-garde rock textures.

Solo work and collaborations

After leaving The Velvet Underground, Cale releases more than thirty albums. His solo work includes the 1973 album Paris 1919 and its title track, which are among his best-known recordings and show a more accessible art-rock style. He also releases compilation sets such as Seducing Down the Door: A Collection 1970-1990, which present the range of his work.

As a producer, Cale works on the debut albums of The Stooges and The Modern Lovers, and on Patti Smith’s Horses. He also plays a major role in Nico’s The Marble Index.

Recognition

Cale is appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2010.