John Cale

John Davies Cale, OBE, is a living legend, a critically-acclaimed musician, composer, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Wales. Cale started playing the viola at a young age, and was even awarded a scholarship to Goldsmiths College in London when he was still in his teens. But it was his move to the United States in 1963 that launched his career and earned him a spot in musical history. Cale has worked in a variety of musical styles, ranging from rock, drone, classical, avant-garde, and electronic music. He was a founding member of the iconic rock group The Velvet Underground, and over the course of his five-decade career, has collaborated with some of the biggest names in music. From Lou Reed to Brian Eno, Cale has created some of the most timeless and influential music of the past century, earning him the title of 'the godfather of alternative music'. Not only is Cale a world-renowned musician, but he's also an accomplished painter, photographer, and film producer. He's even a published author, having written several books about the art and craft of music. And if all that wasn't impressive enough, Cale has also has been awarded an Order of the British Empire. What could be more British than that? Well, perhaps if he had been awarded a knighthood, but he'd probably prefer the joke: "What did they knight John Cale? A viola!"