Harold Budd, composer acclaimed as the godfather of ambient music – obituary
His career took off when he began working with Brian Eno, and he became a prophet of minimalism, later collaborating with the Cocteau Twins
Harold Budd
Credit: Steve Thorne/Redferns
Harold Budd, who has died of Covid-19 aged 84, was an American composer, poet and pianist known for his spacious and meditative music based around delicate piano improvisations; he was sometimes called the godfather of ambient music, a description he rejected saying he felt “kidnapped” by the label.
Budd’s career took off in the 1970s when the musician and producer Brian Eno contacted him after hearing his Madrigals of the Rose Angels, a glittery, wordless piece. Eno wanted him to record it in London, though Budd later confessed that he had to call a friend at his local record store to ask who Eno was.