Peter Gabriel was born in 1950 in Cobham, Surrey, England. He started the band Genesis in 1967 and has had a successful music career producing albums such as "So" and "Up" that include hit songs like "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time". In addition to his music, Peter Gabriel founded the organizations Witness in 1992 to provide cameras for activists and The Elders in 2007 with Richard Branson to address global issues. He also co-founded the WOMAD festivals in 1982 to promote world music and has received awards such as Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award.