Peter Sinfield, Surrealist Lyricist for King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Dies at 80

variety.com:

A.D. Amorosi Peter Sinfield, the colorfully surreal British poet and lyricist who co-founded King Crimson with guitarist-composer Robert Fripp and went on to contribute lyrics to songs by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Celine Dion and Cher, died Thursday in London.

The news was confirmed by Fripp on social media; Sinfield (pictured above, left, with Fripp) was 80. Peter Sinfield, King Crimson’s original roadie, lyricist, lights operator and live sound engineer passed away yesterday on the 14th of November 2024 aged 81.https://t.co/AxjByWRVZa pic.twitter.com/20BMA4vguI No cause of death was announced, although Sinfield had been in poor health in recent years.

Sinfield’s whimsical, often bizarre lyrics were a perfect counterpart for the challenging, multi-genre music on King Crimson’s galvanizing 1969 debut “In the Court of the Crimson King” (including the famously Kanye West-sampled song, “21st Century Schizoid Man” ), which is widely regarded as the first fully progressive rock album.

He continued contributing to the fractious band’s ensuing albums into the early 1970s while also writing for erstwhile Crimson singer Greg Lake in his new band, the even more successful prog-rock outfit Emerson, Lake & Palmer, as well as Lake’s perennial solo holiday classic, “I Believe in Father Christmas.” He also played keyboards for the group and helmed its psychedelic light shows.