As a singer-songwriter, Stipe influenced a wide range of artists, including Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Outside the music industry, he owns and runs two film production studios, C-00 and Single Cell Pictures.Īs a member of R.E.M., Stipe was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual aspect, often selecting album artwork and directing many of the band's music videos. biographer David Buckley compared to Celtic folk artists and Muslim muezzin. Since the mid-1980s, Stipe has sung in 'wailing, keening, arching vocal figures' that R.E.M. Possessing a distinctive voice, Stipe has been noted for the 'mumbling' style of his early career. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. John Michael Stipe ( / ˈ s t aɪ p/ born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M.
