Bill Nelson

Bill Nelson is a British musician, painter, and photographer. Born on December 18, 1948 in Wakefield, West Yorkshire (England), he is best known as the founder of Be Bop Deluxe (1972-1978). With an education from Wakefield College Of Art, Nelson's first recorded works were contributions to Holyground recordings A-Austr: Musics From Holyground (1970) and *Red Noise* (1971). His debut solo album Northern Dream was released on Smile Records in 1971 and gained notable airplay by John Peel.

A year later, Bill formed Be Bop Deluxe which evolved under his guidance into a stylistically experimental endeavor encompassing elements of prog rock, new wave, art rock, and proto punk. After disbanding Be Bop Deluxe in 1978, Nelson embarked on his next project Red Noise (1978-1979) before focusing on his solo career. He received critical acclaim for his experimental synth-pop releases Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam (1981), *The Love That Whirls* (1982), and *Chimera* (1983).

In the latter part of the 1980s, Nelson delved into increasingly esoteric territory as his personal interest in occult and gnostic beliefs influenced voluminous ambient albums created with creative inspiration. Despite personal and financial troubles during this time period, he maintained a prolific recorded output. While not