Steve Hackett Biography Quotes 7 Report mistakes

Early Life and Background
Stephen Richard Hackett was born on 12 February 1950 in London, England. He grew up in a family that encouraged creativity and curiosity, and he gravitated early toward the guitar. As a teenager he absorbed a wide range of influences, from classical and baroque music to blues, folk, and the emerging sounds of rock. The guitar became both his instrument and a laboratory for ideas, and he developed a distinctive touch that favored melody and atmosphere as much as speed. His brother, the flautist John Hackett, would later become one of his most important musical allies, reinforcing the classical and pastoral elements that would thread through his work.

Genesis Years
Hackett entered the wider public consciousness in 1971, when he joined Genesis. The group had been rebuilding after the departure of founding guitarist Anthony Phillips, and Hackett arrived following a brief interim with Mick Barnard. He slotted into a lineup that included Peter Gabriel on vocals, Tony Banks on keyboards, Mike Rutherford on bass and guitar, and, from late 1970 onward, Phil Collins on drums. Within that chemistry Hackett contributed a lyrical, textural approach that expanded the band's sound. His playing is central to albums such as Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot, helped define the fluid intricacy of Selling England by the Pound, and added both bite and subtlety to the expansive concept of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. When Gabriel left and Collins stepped forward as lead singer, Hackett was equally vital to the reinvigorated sound of A Trick of the Tail and Wind & Wuthering. During these years he popularized techniques such as controlled volume swells and early forms of two-handed tapping, and he mixed electric firepower with delicate 12-string and classical guitar. He left Genesis in 1977, seeking full creative autonomy, but remained part of the band's legacy, which was formally recognized when Genesis entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

First Steps as a Solo Artist
Hackett had begun sketching an independent path even before leaving Genesis. Voyage of the Acolyte, released in 1975, was his first solo album, and it featured contributions from Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins. The record announced a vision that reached beyond band boundaries: orchestral colors, extended instrumental passages, and a willingness to place the guitar in service of narrative and mood. After departing Genesis he doubled down with Please Do not Touch! in 1978, bringing in an array of guest vocalists, including Richie Havens and Steve Walsh, and collaborating across styles with a sense of adventure. Spectral Mornings in 1979 and Defector in 1980 crystallized his identity as a solo artist, pairing intricate arrangements with strong melodic lines and showcasing collaborators such as keyboardist Nick Magnus, who became a key figure in Hackett's touring and recording bands.

Range, Experiment, and Craft
One throughline in Hackett's career is his refusal to be confined to a single genre. He embraced song-oriented rock on records like Cured and Highly Strung, but he also stepped decisively into acoustic and classical territory. Bay of Kings in 1983 marked a full-length immersion in nylon-string guitar, and he revisited that domain frequently, later issuing works that drew on classical repertoire and baroque forms. Throughout the 1990s and beyond he combined these strands with ambient textures, blues inflections, and world-music elements. His brother John Hackett's flute often provided a countervoice within these soundscapes, while long-serving collaborators such as producer and keyboardist Roger King helped shape the modern contours of his studio sound.

Bands, Partnerships, and Notable Collaborations
Hackett's curiosity led to distinct chapters beyond his solo brand. In the mid-1980s he co-founded GTR with Steve Howe of Yes, forging a radio-friendly progressive rock hybrid that yielded the hit single When the Heart Rules the Mind, sung by Max Bacon. Later, he partnered with Yes bassist Chris Squire under the name Squackett, releasing A Life Within a Day in 2012, which fused harmonic elegance with muscular groove. Over the years he also worked with artists across the progressive spectrum and beyond, drawing guest singers and instrumentalists into flexible project lineups. Vocalist Nad Sylvan became a prominent voice in Hackett's touring ensemble during the Genesis Revisited era, while players such as drummer Gary O'Toole, saxophonist and woodwind specialist Rob Townsend, bassist Jonas Reingold, and guitarist-vocalist Amanda Lehmann contributed to the dynamism of his stage and studio work.

Genesis Revisited and the Art of Reinterpretation
In the 2010s Hackett brought renewed attention to the Genesis catalog with Genesis Revisited projects. These were not simple nostalgia exercises but carefully reimagined performances that ran in parallel with new solo material. Albums like Wolflight, The Night Siren, At the Edge of Light, and Surrender of Silence sat alongside tours in which he performed complete sides of Selling England by the Pound or substantial portions of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The balance of reverence and reinvention showed both the durability of the original compositions and Hackett's commitment to keeping them alive as evolving works. Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Peter Gabriel, and Phil Collins remained important touchstones in the narrative, even as Hackett reframed the guitar parts and arrangements through a contemporary lens with Roger King at the production helm and Nad Sylvan providing the principal vocal thread.

Technique, Sound, and Influence
Hackett's signature lies in tone, dynamics, and compositional sense as much as in technique. He is widely cited for advancing two-handed tapping in rock contexts well before it became mainstream, and he paired that approach with precise vibrato, sustain-rich lead lines, harmonized melodies, and deft use of 12-string textures. Equally at home on nylon-string guitar, he elevates classical voicings and counterpoint within rock frameworks, often setting the electric and acoustic instruments in dialogue. Many guitarists across prog, metal, and alternative genres reference his work as foundational, particularly the dramatic crescendos and lyrical phrasing heard on tracks from the Genesis and early solo catalogs. His collaborations with arrangers and keyboardists, notably Tony Banks in Genesis and later Roger King, underline his belief in the guitar as part of a larger orchestration rather than a standalone showpiece.

Personal Life and Creative Partnerships
The visual dimension of Hackett's work was shaped in part by his long relationship with Brazilian artist Kim Poor, whose artwork adorned several releases during a significant portion of his career. Following their separation, he married Jo Lehmann, now Jo Hackett, who has collaborated with him on lyrics and creative direction. John Hackett's role as a close musical partner extends across decades, both on record and onstage, reinforcing a family thread in Steve's artistic life. Manager Tony Smith was a key figure during the Genesis years, helping steer the band through periods of change and success, and Hackett has continued to surround himself with teams that balance administrative steadiness and artistic flexibility.

Writing, Reflection, and Recognition
Beyond performance and recording, Hackett has reflected on his life in music through writing. His memoir, A Genesis in My Bed, published in 2020, offered an insider's perspective on the evolution of Genesis and his own creative journey. The book added another dimension to his profile, aligning with his thoughtful public persona. Recognition has followed both his band and solo achievements. In addition to Genesis's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, he has been honored frequently within progressive rock circles for his guitar work, composition, and enduring contribution to the genre.

Legacy
Steve Hackett's career traces a path from the crucible of early 1970s progressive rock to a multifaceted modern practice that embraces heritage and forward motion. He stands as a bridge between compositional rigor and the expressive possibilities of the guitar, with formative relationships to Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, and Phil Collins shaping his early ascent, and later collaborations with figures such as Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Nad Sylvan, Roger King, and John Hackett reinforcing his capacity for renewal. Whether revisiting classic material or unveiling new music, he treats the guitar as a storyteller's instrument, and he continues to tour and record with the energy of an artist for whom exploration is not a phase but a permanent state of mind.

Our collection contains 7 quotes who is written by Steve, under the main topics: Truth - Music - Love.