St. Jerome, who lived as a hermit near Bethlehem, depicted in his study being visited by two angels. (Cavarozzi, early 17th century)

A hermit (adjectival form: eremitic) is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.^[1]

In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament (i.e., the forty years wandering in the desert^[2] that was meant to bring about a change of heart).

In the Christian tradition the eremitic life^[3] is an early form of monastic living that preceded the monastic life in the cenobium. The Rule of St Benedict (ch. 1) lists hermits among four kinds of monks. In the Roman Catholic Church, in addition to hermits who are members of religious institutes, contemporary Roman Catholic Church law (canon 603) recognizes also consecrated hermits under the direction of their diocesan bishop as members of the Consecrated Life ("consecrated diocesan hermits"). The same is true in many parts of the Anglican Communion, including the Episcopal Church in the United States, although in the canon law of the Episcopal Church they are referred to as "solitaries" rather than "hermits".

Often, both in religious and secular literature, the term "hermit" is also used loosely for any Christian living a secluded prayer-focused life, and sometimes interchangeably with anchorite / anchoress, recluse and "solitary".

Other religions, e.g. in Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism, Taoism, traditionally also have hermits in the sense of individuals living an ascetic form of life.

In modern colloquial usage, the term "hermit" denotes anyone living a life apart from the rest of society, or who simply does not participate in social events as much as is common, regardless of their motivation in doing so, including the misanthrope.

Etymology[link]

The word hermit comes from the Latin ĕrēmīta,^[4] the latinisation of the Greek ἐρημίτης (erēmitēs), "of the desert",^[5] which in turn comes from ἔρημος (erēmos),^[6] signifying "desert", "uninhabited", hence "desert-dweller"; adjective: "eremitic".

Christianity[link]

Because the life of the Christian hermit, both in ancient and in modern times, is rooted in the Desert Theology of the Old Testament, it is a life entirely given to the praise of God and the love and, through the hermit's penance and prayers, also the service of all humanity. The latter is crucial to the correct understanding of the eremitic vocation, since the Judeo-Christian tradition holds that God created man (i.e., the individual human being) relational,^[7] which means that solitude can never be the purpose of any Christian vocation but only a conducive environment for striving after a particular spiritual purpose that forms part of our common human vocation.

History[link]

Tradition[link]

In the common Christian tradition the first known Christian hermit in Egypt was Paul of Thebes (fl. 3rd century), hence also called "St Paul the first hermit". His disciple Antony of Egypt (fl. 4th century), often referred to as "Antony the Great", is perhaps the most renowned of all the very early Christian hermits owing to the biography by his friend Athanasius of Alexandria. An antecedent for Egyptian eremitism may have been the Syrian solitary or "son of the covenant" (Aramaic bar qəyāmā) who undertook special disciplines as a Christian.^[8] In the Middle Ages some Carmelite hermits claimed to trace their origin to Jewish hermits organized by Elijah.

Christian hermits in the past have often lived in isolated cells or hermitages, whether a natural cave or a constructed dwelling, situated in the desert or the forest. They tended to be sought out for spiritual advice and counsel; and some eventually acquired so many disciples that they had no physical solitude at all.

The early Christian Desert Fathers wove baskets to exchange for bread. In medieval times hermits were also found within or near cities where they might earn a living as a gate keeper or ferryman.

From the Middle Ages and down to modern times eremitical monasticism has also been practiced within the context of religious institutes in the Christian West. For example in the Catholic Church the Carthusians and Camaldolese arrange their monasteries as clusters of hermitages where the monks live most of their day and most of their lives in solitary prayer and work, gathering only relatively briefly for communal prayer and only occasionally for community meals and recreation. The Cistercian, Trappist and Carmelite orders, which are essentially communal in nature, allow members who feel a calling to the eremitic life, after years living in the cenobium or community of the monastery, to move to a cell suitable as a hermitage on monastery grounds. This applies to both their monks and their nuns. There have also been many hermits who chose that vocation as an alternative to other forms of monastic life. In the eleventh century, the life of the hermit gained recognition as a legitimate independent pathway to salvation. Many hermits in this century and the next came to be regarded as saints.^[9]

Anchorites and anchoresses[link]

The term "anchorite" (from the Greek ἀναχωρέω anachōreō, signifying "to withdraw", "to depart into the country outside the circumvallate city") is often used as a synonym for hermit, not only in the earliest written sources but throughout the centuries. Yet the anchoritic life, while similar to the eremitic life, can also be distinct from it. In the Middle Ages anchorite was a common vocation. Anchorites and anchoresses lived the religious life in the solitude of an "anchorhold" (or "anchorage"), usually a small hut or "cell" built against a church. The door of anchorages tended to be bricked up in a special ceremony conducted by the local bishop after the anchorite had moved in. Medieval churches survive that have a tiny window ("squint") built into the shared wall near the sanctuary to allow the anchorite to participate in the liturgy by listening to the service and to receive Holy communion. Another window led out into the street or cemetery, enabling charitable neighbours to deliver food and other necessities. Clients seeking the anchorite's advice might also use this window to consult her. In our times the anchoritic life as a distinct form of vocation is almost unheard of.

Contemporary life[link]

Roman Catholicism[link]

Today's Roman Catholics feeling called to eremitic monasticism may live that vocation either

• as a hermit (a) belonging to a cenobitic Catholic religious order (for example Benedictines, Cistercians, Trappists), or (b) in an eremitically oriented religious order (for example Carthusian, Camaldolese), but in both cases under obedience to their religious superior (see below), or
• as a consecrated hermit under the canonical direction of their local bishop (canon 603, see below).

Eremitic members of religious institutes[link]

Church of the hermitage "Our Lady the Garden Enclosed" in Warfhuizen, Netherlands

In the Catholic Church today the institutes of consecrated life have their own regulations concerning those of their members who feel called by God to move from the life in community to the eremitic life, and have the permission of their religious superior to do so. The Code of Canon Law (1983) contains no special provisions for them. They technically remain a member of their institute of consecrated life and thus under obedience to their religious superior.

As mentioned above, the Carthusian and Camaldolese orders of monks and nuns preserve their original way of life as essentially eremitical within a cenobitical context: that is, the monasteries of these orders are in fact clusters of individual hermitages where monks and nuns spend their days alone with relatively short periods of prayer in common daily and weekly.

Also as mentioned above, other orders which are essentially cenobitical, most notably the Trappists, maintain a tradition that allows individual monks or nuns, when they have reached a certain level of maturity within the community, to pursue the life of the hermit on monastery grounds under the supervision of the abbot or abbess. Thomas Merton was among those Trappists who undertook this way of life.

Consecrated diocesan hermits (canon 603)[link]

The earliest form of Christian eremitic or anchoritic living preceded that as a member of a religious institute, since monastic communities and religious institutes are later developments of the monastic life. Today an increasing number of Christian faithful feel again a vocation to live the eremitic life, whether in the remote countryside or in a city in stricter separation from the world, without having passed through life in a monastic community first. Bearing in mind that the meaning of the eremitic vocation is the Desert Theology of the Old Testament (i.e., the 40 years wandering in the desert that was meant to bring about a change of heart), it may be said that the desert of the urban hermit is that of their heart, purged through kenosis to be the dwelling place of God alone.

So as to provide for men and women who feel a calling to the eremitic or anchoritic life without being or becoming a member of an institute of consecrated life, but desire its recognition by the Roman Catholic Church as a form of consecrated life nonetheless, the Code of Canon Law 1983 legislates in the Section on Consecrated Life (canon 603) as follows:

§1 Besides institutes of consecrated life the Roman Catholic Church recognizes the eremitic or anchoritic life by which the Christian faithful devote their life to the praise of God and salvation of the world through a stricter separation from the world, the silence of solitude and assiduous prayer and penance.

§2 A hermit is recognized in the law as one dedicated to God in a consecrated life if he or she publicly professes the three evangelical counsels" (i.e. chastity, religious poverty and obedience), "confirmed by a vow or other sacred bond, in the hands of the diocesan bishop and observes his or her own plan of life under his direction.

Canon 603 §2 therefore lays down certain requirements for those who feel a vocation to the kind of eremitic life that is recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as one of the "other forms of consecrated life". They usually are referred to as "consecrated hermits".

The norms of canon 603 do not apply to the many other Roman Catholic faithful who live alone and devote themselves to fervent prayer for the love of God without however feeling called by God to seek recognition of their prayerful solitary life from the Roman Catholic Church by entering the consecrated life.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church of 11 October 1992 (§§918-921) comments on the eremitic life as follows:

From the very beginning of the Church there were men and women who set out to follow Christ with greater liberty, and to imitate him more closely, by practicing the evangelical counsels. They led lives dedicated to God, each in his own way. Many of them, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, became hermits or founded religious families. These the Church, by virtue of her authority, gladly accepted and approved.

Bishops will always strive to discern new gifts of consecrated life granted to the Church by the Holy Spirit; the approval of new forms of consecrated life is reserved to the Apostolic See. (Footnote: Cf. CIC, can. 605).

The Eremitic Life
Without always professing the three evangelical counsels publicly, hermits "devote their life to the praise of God and salvation of the world through a stricter separation from the world, the silence of solitude and assiduous prayer and penance". (Footnote: CIC, can. 603 §1)

They manifest to everyone the interior aspect of the mystery of the Church, that is, personal intimacy with Christ. Hidden from the eyes of men, the life of the hermit is a silent preaching of the Lord, to whom he has surrendered his life simply because he is everything to him. Here is a particular call to find in the desert, in the thick of spiritual battle, the glory of the Crucified One.

The norms of the Catholic Church for the consecrated eremitic and anchoritic life (cf. canon 603) do not include corporal works of mercy. Nevertheless, every consecrated hermit, like every Christian, is bound by the law of charity and therefore ought to respond generously, as his or her own circumstances permit, when faced with a specific need for corporal works of mercy. However, since consecrated hermits, like every Christian, are also bound by the law of work, and therefore have to earn their living, they have to do so by any means locally available that is compatible with Christian teaching. Therefore (self-)employment in the care sector may be a work option for consecrated hermits so qualified, providing they can convince their bishop that this will not keep them from observing their obligations of the eremitic vocation in accordance with canon 603, under which they have made their vow.

Although canon 603 makes no provison for associations of hermits, these do exist (for example the "Hermits of Bethlehem" in Chester NJ and the "Hermits of Saint Bruno" in the U.S.A.; see also lavra, skete).

See for instance Bamberg Anne, Ermite reconnu par l’Église. Le c. 603 du code de droit canonique et la haute responsabilité de l’évêque diocésain, in Vie consacrée, 74, 2002, p. 104-118 and Entre théologie et droit canonique : l’ermite catholique face à l’obéissance, in Nouvelle revue théologique, 125, 2003, p. 429-439 or Eremiten und geweihtes Leben. Zur kanonischen Typologie, in Geist und Leben, 78, 2005, p. 313-318.

Non-consecrated eremitic living[link]

Not all the Roman Catholic lay members that feel that it is their vocation to dedicate themselves to God in a prayerful solitary life perceive it as a vocation to some form of consecrated life. An example of this is life in a Poustinia, an Eastern Catholic expression of eremitic religious living that is finding adherents also in the West.

Episcopal Church[link]

In the Canon Law of the Episcopal Church, those who make application to their diocesan bishop and who persevere in whatever preparatory program the bishop requires, take vows that include lifelong celibacy. They are referred to as "solitaries" rather than "hermits"; each selects a bishop other than their diocesan as an additional spiritual resource and, if necessary, an intermediary.

St. Seraphim of Sarov sharing his meal with a bear

Eastern Christianity[link]

In the Orthodox Church and Eastern Rite Catholic Churches, however, hermits live a life not only of prayer but also of service to their community in the traditional Eastern Christian manner of the poustinik. The poustinik is a hermit available to all in need and at all times.

In the Eastern Christian churches one traditional variation of the Christian eremitic life is the semi-eremitic life in a lavra or skete, exemplified historically in Scetes, a place in the Egyptian desert, and continued in various sketes today including several regions on Mount Athos.

Notable Christian hermits[link]

Early and Medieval Church

• Anthony of Egypt, 4th cent., Egypt, a Desert Father, regarded as the founder of Monasticism
• Macarius of Egypt, 4th cent., founder of the Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great, presumed author of "Spiritual Homilies"
• St. Jerome, 4th cent., Mediterranean region, Doctor of the Church, considered the spiritual father of the Hieronymite eremitic order
• Syncletica of Alexandria, 4th cent., Egypt, one of the early Desert Mothers, her maxims are included in the sayings of the Desert Fathers
• Gregory the Illuminator, 4th cent., brought the Christian faith to Armenia
• Mary of Egypt, 4/5th cent., Egypt and Transjordan, penitent
• Simeon Stylites, 4/5th cent., Syria, "pillar hermit"/"pillar saint"
• Sarah of the Desert, 5th cent., Egypt, one of the Desert Mothers, her maxims are recorded in the sayings of the Desert Fathers
• St Benedict of Nursia, 6th cent., Italy, author of the so-called Rule of St Benedict, regarded as the founder of western monasticism
• St. Gall, 7th cent., Switzerland, namesake of the city and canton of St. Gallen.
• St. Romuald, 10/11th cent., Italy, founder of the Camaldolese order
• Guðríðr Þorbjarnardóttir, 10/11th century, Iceland.
• St. Bruno of Cologne, 11th cent., France, the founder of the Carthusian order
• Peter the Hermit, 11th cent., France, leader of the People's Crusade
• Richard Rolle de Hampole, 13th cent., England, religious writer
• Julian of Norwich, 15th cent., England, anchoress
• St. Juan Diego, 1474–1548, Mexico, visionary of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Modern times – Roman Catholic Church

• Hermit members of institutes:
  • Maria Boulding, Benedictine nun, spiritual writer
  • Thomas Merton, 20th cent., Cistercian monk, spiritual writer
• Consecrated hermits (canon 603):
  • Sr Scholastica Egan, writer on the eremitic vocation
• Colonies, sketes, lavras of Consecrated Hermits (canon 603):
  • Hermits of Bethlehem, Chester, NJ (modern lavra)
• Christian faithful living an eremitic form of life without belonging to institutes or being a Consecrated Hermit (canon 603):
  • Sister Wendy Beckett, formerly of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, since 1970 Consecrated virgin, lives in "monastic solitude"; art historian
  • Catherine de Hueck Doherty, poustinik, foundress of the Madonna House Apostolate
  • Charles de Foucauld, 19/20th cent., formerly Trappist monk, inspired the founding of the Little Brothers of Jesus
  • Jan Tyranowski, spiritual mentor to the young Karol Wojtyla, who would eventually become Pope John Paul II

Modern times – Orthodox Church

• Sergius of Radonezh, 14th cent.
• Herman of Alaska, 18th cent.
• Seraphim of Sarov, 18/19th cent.

Modern Times - Protestant Churches

• Order of Watchers, a contemporary French Protestant eremitic fraternity.

Other religions[link]

Two Sadhus, Hindu hermits

From a religious point of view, the solitary life is a form of asceticism, wherein the hermit renounces worldly concerns and pleasures. This can be done for many reasons, including: to come closer to the deity or deities they worship or revere, to devote one's energies to self-liberation from saṃsāra, etc. This practice appears also in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sufism. Taoism also has a long history of ascetic and eremetical figures. In the ascetic eremitic life, the hermit seeks solitude for meditation, contemplation, and prayer without the distractions of contact with human society, sex, or the need to maintain socially acceptable standards of cleanliness or dress. The ascetic discipline can also include a simplified diet and/or manual labor as a means of support.

Notable hermits in other religions[link]

• Gautama Buddha, who, having abandoned his royal life for a solitary quest for spiritual enlightenment, first became a hermit, and later abandoned asceticism to become the founder of Buddhism.
• Laozi, in some traditions he spent his final days as a hermit.
• U Khandi, Religious figure in Burma.
• Yoshida Kenkō, Japanese author.
• Zhang Daoling, Founder of Tianshi Dao.
• Hsu Yun, Ch'an Buddhist monk in China.
• Hanshan, Buddhist/Taoist hermit and poet.
• Emily Dickinson, American poet.
• An unnamed hermit of over 500 years old in the mountains of China taught Li Ching-Yuen the art of Baguazhang and a set Qigong.
• Lin Bu (林逋) was a Song Dynasty poet that spend much of his later life in solitude, while admiring plum blossoms, on a cottage by West Lake in Hangzhou.^[10]

In popular culture[link]

In Orlando Furioso, Angelica meets with a hermit

• In medieval romances, the knight errant frequently encounters hermits on his quest; such a figure, generally a wise old man, would advise him. Knights searching for the Holy Grail, in particular, learn of the errors of which they must repent, and have the significance of their encounters, dreams and visions explained to them.^[11] Evil wizards would sometimes pose as hermits, to explain their presence in the wilds, and to lure heroes into a false sense of security. In Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene, both occurred: the knight on a quest met a good hermit, and the sorcerer Archimago took on such a pose.^[12] These hermits are sometimes also vegetarians for ascetic reasons, as suggested in a passage from Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur: 'Then departed Gawain and Ector as heavy (sad) as they might for their misadventure (mishap), and so rode till that they came to the rough mountain, and there they tied their horses and went on foot to the hermitage. And when they were (had) come up, they saw a poor house, and beside the chapel a little courtelage (courtyard), where Nacien the hermit gathered worts (vegetables), as he which had tasted none other meat (food) of a great while.'^[13] The practice of vegetarianism may have also existed amongst actual medieval hermits outside of literature.
• Hermits can appear in fairy tales in the character of the donor, as in Făt-Frumos with the Golden Hair.
• Hermits appear in a few of the stories of Giovanni Boccaccio's The Decameron. One of the most famous stories, the tenth story of the third day, involves the seduction of a young girl by a hermit in the desert near Gafsa; it was judged to be so obscene that it was not translated into English until the 20th century.
• John Renbourn named an album The Hermit as well as the title song. The cover shows a man similar to the images printed on the Tarot decks.
• Friedrich Nietzsche, in his influential work Thus Spoke Zarathustra, created the character of the hermit Zarathustra (named after the Zoroastrian prophet Zarathushtra), who emerges from seclusion to extol his philosophy to the rest of humanity.
• At one time, noblemen would have hermits living on their land, for instance in a folly. The hermit would be provided with food and water, and given a skull, a book and an hour-glass. Some of these "ornamental" hermits didn't talk to the servants, but simply repeated a phrase in Latin. Most grew beards and didn't cut their nails. Notable places with ornamental hermits included Painstone and Hawkstone Park.^[14]
• In Star Wars, Ben Kenobi was first introduced to the audience as an old hermit, often seen by most of the in-universe characters at their surroundings as a very dangerous, crazy wizard. Later in the story it was to be revealed that he went into exile for political reasons, although it also served him for spiritual training since he was a warrior monk in his youth, and that his first name was actually Obi-Wan. Yoda, another Jedi, was also originally portrayed as a wizard or hermit.
• In the Friday the 13th series, the character Jason Voorhees was believed to have died after he drowned as a child. However, this later changed when it was revealed that he survived and lived life as a hermit – only to enter a murderous rage when he witnesses the death of his mother seemingly years later (which was during the events of the original film).
• In the popular anime Dragon Ball, a martial-arts master named Muten Roshi is often referred to as a Turtle Hermit, despite the fact that over the course of the series characters are often visiting or even living in his island home.
• Monty Python had a sketch about two hermits agreeing at the beginning "There's no point frigging your life in idleness and trivial chit-chats" but the conversation quickly degenerate into a gossip about their hermit neighbors and their caves as if it was an ordinary suburban gossip. It ends with the punchline: "It's still better, being a hermit, at least you meet people" – "Oh yes, I wouldn't go back to public relations."

See also[link]

References[link]

Notes

Sources

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain 1913 Webster's Dictionary.
•  "Hermits". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hermits

• Rotha Mary Clay, Full Text + Illustrations, The Hermits and Anchorites of England.
• The tradition of the Lersi Hermits
• British hermits: the growing lure of the solitary life
• A forum for hermits & solitaries

Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett at a concert in Braunschweig, Germany, in 2005.
Background information
Birth name	Stephen Richard Hackett
Born	(1950-02-12) 12 February 1950 (age 62) Pimlico, London, England
Genres	Progressive rock, classical music, blues, pop rock, hard rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Guitar, harmonica, vocals, keyboards, bass
Years active	1970–present
Labels	Charisma, Camino, Chrysalis (US), Epic (US), Gramy, Lamborghini, Start, Wolfwork, Blue Plate/Caroline (US), InsideOut
Associated acts	Quiet World, Genesis, GTR
Website	hackettsongs.com
Notable instruments
Gibson Les Paul electric guitar

Stephen Richard Hackett (born 12 February 1950)^[1] is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career. Hackett contributed to six Genesis studio albums, three live albums and seven singles.^[2]

In 1986, Hackett co-founded the supergroup GTR with another progressive guitarist, Steve Howe of Yes and Asia. The group released a self-titled album that year, which peaked at #11 on the Billboard 200 in the United States and spawned the Top 20 single "When the Heart Rules the Mind".^[1] When Hackett left GTR in 1987, the group disbanded.

After leaving GTR, Hackett resumed his solo career and has released albums and toured on a regular basis since. His body of work has encompassed many styles, such as progressive rock, world music, and classical. His playing has influenced guitarists such as Eddie Van Halen, Alex Lifeson^[3] and Brian May.^[4] He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.

Biography[link]

Hackett was born in Pimlico, London and attended the Sloane Grammar School, Chelsea.

He grew up having access to various musical instruments, such as the recorder and harmonica, but did not develop an interest in the guitar until the age of twelve, when he started playing single notes. By fourteen, he was learning chords and experimenting with chord progressions, although he never received any formal instruction. Hackett's earliest musical influences were classical (Johann Sebastian Bach) and opera (Mario Lanza). He has stated that his compositions are still influenced by them.^[5] Hackett also has cited numerous British blues artists as influences, namely Danny Kirwan, Peter Green, and various guitarists in John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers.^[6]

Early career[link]

Steve Hackett's earliest professional playing experience came with two bands — Canterbury Glass and Sarabande — both of whom performed rock with progressive elements. His first recording work came in 1970, as a member of Quiet World, a band that included his younger brother John Hackett on flute. The group released one album, The Road, but he departed the group soon after.

Hackett, seeking a new band, placed an advertisement in Melody Maker -magazine. The advertisement, in which Hackett stated he was seeking musicians "determined to strive beyond existing stagnant music forms," was spotted by Genesis vocalist Peter Gabriel, who contacted Hackett. The band had recently lost founding guitarist Anthony Phillips. After seeing Genesis perform, Hackett auditioned for the group and joined in December 1970.

Genesis[link]

Steve Hackett on stage Toronto, 6 March 1977

Hackett, who had little on-stage playing experience, when he joined Genesis, had some initial difficulty performing with the group. But he soon settled into his role, and his unique stage image (wearing glasses and seated in a hunched position over his guitar) served as a counter to Gabriel's extravagant costumes and theatrics.

Hackett's first recording with Genesis was Nursery Cryme, released in November 1971. Hackett made an immediate impact on the group's sound, as evidenced by his work on such songs as "The Musical Box" and "The Return of the Giant Hogweed," becoming one of the first guitarists to experiment with the tapping technique normally attributed to Eddie Van Halen. (Hackett has often claimed Eddie Van Halen told him that he learned the technique after attending a Genesis concert in the early 1970s.)^[7] The continuo part in the latter song sounds like a synthesiser because of distortion and because of his legato tapping technique as well as Tony Banks's simultaneous Hohner Pianet continuo.

Although Nursery Cryme was not a commercial success, 1972's album Foxtrot was, reaching #12 in the UK. Included on Foxtrot was Hackett's classical guitar solo composition "Horizons," which quickly became one of his signature pieces.

Foxtrot began a trend of increasing commercial popularity for Genesis, and in the group's 1973 effort, Selling England by the Pound, Hackett showed continued and perfected use of the tapping technique, as well as sweep picking, which was popularised in 1984 by Yngwie Malmsteen. Both of these techniques can be heard on the track "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight." The track "Firth of Fifth" contains one of Hackett's most well-known guitar solos. The track has remained a favourite in concert, even after Hackett's departure.

During the recording of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway in 1974, Hackett's contribution shrank from what he had originally contributed on Selling England by the Pound. He attributed his lack of contribution to be that of not being able to come to grips with the material presented, and his failing marriage.^[8] Additionally, Hackett injured his hand after accidentally crushing a wine glass, which led to the delay of the Lamb tour. This additionally reflected the tension within the band.^[9]

In 1975, Hackett became the first member of Genesis to release a solo album, when he issued Voyage of the Acolyte. Assisting with the recording were Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford. Hackett enjoyed the freedom he had, when writing and recording his own album, and thus began to become frustrated after returning to the group's more democratic approach to songwriting.

The band reconvened after Peter Gabriel's departure to record the album A Trick Of The Tail (1976), with Collins performing lead vocals after no other singer could be found. Hackett had writing credits on a number of the songs, but felt constricted by his lack of freedom and level of input.

His frustration increased as Genesis prepared to release in December 1976 Wind & Wuthering. Hackett was insistent that more of his material be included on the album, but was rebuffed. "Blood on the Rooftops", which Hackett wrote with Phil Collins, made the album but was never played live, and his composition "Please Don't Touch" was rejected completely. Another song, "Inside and Out", was relegated to the Spot the Pigeon EP. Hackett remained with Genesis through the conclusion of the Wind & Wuthering tour, but announced his departure on 8 October 1977, one week before the release of the group's second live album Seconds Out.^[10]

Reunions[link]

Since Hackett's departure, the early 1970s lineup of Genesis has reunited on a handful of occasions. On 2 October 1982, the group gathered for a one-off performance entitled "Six of the Best", held to raise money for Peter Gabriel's WOMAD festival. This was the first and last time this lineup had performed since 1975.

In 1998 the group gathered for a photo session and dinner to celebrate the release of the box set, Genesis Archive 1967-75. Hackett re-recorded some of his guitar parts for the box set, as well as participating in the re-recording of 1974's "The Carpet Crawlers" for inclusion on the 1999 Genesis greatest hits album Turn It on Again: The Hits. The rest of the group recorded some new parts as well, although they were not recorded together in the same studio. However, by the time that Trevor Horn and The Art of Noise had mixed these parts, there remained very little of them in the final release other than Gabriel's and Collins' vocals.

In an April 2006 radio interview, Phil Collins discussed a band meeting that took place in November 2005. During that meeting, the group discussed the possibility of reuniting the classic mid-1970s roster for a limited run of shows, including a complete performance of the group's 1974 double album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.^[11] However, on 18 October 2006 it was announced that the post-Hackett lineup of Rutherford, Banks, and Collins were instead reforming.^[12]

In March 2010, Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio was asked to pay tribute to Genesis, one of his favourite bands, upon being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to Anastasio's speech, Phish appeared and performed two Genesis songs, "Watcher of the Skies" and "No Reply At All". Even though Hackett and his Genesis bandmates (minus Peter Gabriel) attended the ceremony, they did not perform.

Solo career[link]

Hackett's first post-Genesis album was Please Don't Touch, released in 1978. As with Voyage of the Acolyte (1975), much of the material on the album was in the style of progressive rock.^[1] It did contain, however, much more vocal work. Hackett, who had never sung lead on a Genesis song, turned over most of the vocals to a number of singers, including folk singer Richie Havens, R&B singer Randy Crawford, and Steve Walsh of American progressive rock group Kansas. He did provide lead vocals for "Carry on Up the Vicarage," but they were processed using a "laughing gnome" vocal effect.^[13] The album peaked at #38 on the UK chart,^[1] and #103 on the Billboard pop Albums chart in the United States.

A pair of progressive rock albums followed: 1979's Spectral Mornings (#22 UK Albums Chart) and 1980's Defector (#9 UK Albums Chart,^[1] they charted #138 and #144 in the United States, respectively). Hackett toured Europe for the first time as a solo act in 1979, and in August performed at the Reading Festival. The Defector-tour brought him to the United States for the first time since his final tour with Genesis.

Hackett's first major shift in musical style came with 1981's Cured. Although the album contained some of the progressive and classical pieces for which Hackett was known, it also showcased a much more pop approach. The album was recorded without most of the musicians who had been on Hackett's solo albums since Spectral Mornings (Hackett handled all lead vocal duties). Only longtime collaborators Nick Magnus and John Hackett remained. While Cured did not chart highly in the U.S., it peaked at #15 in the UK.^[1]

In the 1980s, Hackett released his first classical guitar albums, Bay of Kings (1983, #70 UK Albums Chart)^[1] and Momentum (1988). The tour for Momentum drew large crowds in Europe, considered unusual for a classical guitarist.

In 1983 Hackett participated on the British/Brazilian singer Ritchie's LP Voo de Coração. Hackett played guitar on various tracks, and most songs on the LP were hits on Brazilian radio.

On the rock production side, Hackett's work in the 1980s involved the LPs Cured (1981), Highly Strung (1983, #16 UK Albums Chart) and Till We Have Faces (1984, #54 UK Albums Chart).^[1] Till We Have Faces merged Hackett style sounds with Brazilian percussion.

In 1986, Hackett formed the supergroup GTR with veteran Yes and Asia guitarist Steve Howe. The group released a gold-selling album, produced by Yes/Asia keyboardist Geoff Downes. Hackett soon left GTR over financial and management squabbles. In addition to Howe and Downes, Hackett has also worked with Yes drummer Bill Bruford in Genesis, Yes bassist Chris Squire (Chris Squire's Swiss Choir, 2007) and briefly Yes vocalist Trevor Horn (who produced the 1999 reunion version of "The Carpet Crawlers"). He also performed alongside former Yes keyboard player Rick Wakeman on the latter's TV Show Gastank in the mid 1980s. Hackett's long-time keyboardist, Julian Colbeck, played live with Yes spin-off Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe.

Hackett's solo career continued, releasing a plethora of both electric and acoustic based albums throughout the 1990s to the present day. In April 1997 he released the neo-classical influenced A Midsummer Night's Dream, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the album spent several weeks in the Top 10 of the UK classical charts.

In June 2009, Hackett announced a new solo album featuring contributions of many artists, including former Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips and Chris Squire of Yes. In fact Hackett and Squire have recorded an album of new material under the working title of "Squackett" which as of late 2010 has been delayed by legal reasons.

The album, which was due for release mid October 2009 and called Out of the Tunnel's Mouth, ^[14] was delayed due to legal reasons, but was eventually on sale from November 2009, and some songs were performed on the European tour.

In August 2009, the official, authorised biography 'Sketches of Hackett' by Alan Hewitt was published by Wymer Publishing. The first edition hardback includes a bonus DVD with a 90 minute interview filmed early in the year at Steve's home.

On 15 March 2010, Genesis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Hackett making a rare appearance alongside Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford at the ceremony, though they did not perform together. Hackett, in recent years, has put on record his willingness to participate in a reunion. Genesis' planned reunion of the classic 1970's line-up fell apart in 2007 when Peter Gabriel expressed reservations, and subsequently Hackett dropped out in deference to the Genesis 'trio' line-up, as opposed to the 4-piece.^[15] With Phil Collins' announced retirement in 2011, any possibility for another reunion are very slim.

In 2011 Hackett released album Beyond the Shrouded Horizon. In 2012 he went on tour to promote the album in the UK.^[16] Beyond the Shrouded Horizon is Hackett’s 24th studio album and is said to deliver even more than his previous album Out of The Tunnel’s Mouth.

Personal life[link]

Hackett has been married three times. His first, brief, marriage was to Ellen^[17] and the couple had a son, Oliver. The union broke down at about the time of the recording of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. Hackett has admitted that the strain of the break-up contributed to the incident where he crushed a wine glass in frustration, injuring his hand and delaying the start of the Lamb tour.^[18] He then married Brazilian painter and jewellery artist Kim Poor on 14 August 1981.^[19] She painted most of his album covers. They divorced on 18 May 2007.^[20] He married author Jo Lehmann on June 4, 2011.^[21]

Steve's younger brother John was involved as flute player and second guitarist in his 1970s bands. John has often appeared as musician and collaborator on his more recent work, particularly on Sketches of Satie (2000), arranged for flute and guitar.

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Steve Hackett

• Steve Hackett's official website
• Camino Records, Steve's former record company
• The official Steve Hackett Facebook page
• The Steve Hackett Appreciation Society Facebook page
• World of Genesis.com August 2001 Steve Hackett interview
• World of Genesis.com February 2009 Steve Hackett interview
• World of Genesis.com September 2009 Steve Hackett interview
• Steve Hackett at Allmusic
• Steve Hackett at the Internet Movie Database
• 2011 interview with Steve Hackett on Prog Sphere