Born 83 Years Ago Today, This Rock Mastermind Was Once The Highest-Grossing Solo Artist

Roger Waters served as the bassist of the hit psychedelic and progressive rock band Pink Floyd from 1965 until 1985, and while that's an impressive credential on its own, Waters was much more than a simple bassist. He was the mastermind behind many of Pink Floyd's lyrics, and he had one of the highest-grossing tours of any solo artist in the 2010s. This rock 'n' roll genius was born 83 years ago today on September 6, 1943.

There might be controversy surrounding Waters as a bandmate, but there's no denying he was a big part of what made Pink Floyd. Syd Barrett originally wrote the band's music, but Barrett left the band shortly after their second album release in 1968, which he was barely present for, and Waters moved continually further into defining the sound as the band climbed higher into fame. By the time the album "The Dark Side of the Moon" came out in 1973, Waters had become the primary writer of the band's music. Waters eventually started a solo project in 1984, though he continued to write for and play with Pink Floyd until he split from the band entirely in 1985.

The story behind Roger Waters leaving Pink Floyd is its own tale, but let's just say it stemmed from control issues and included legal battles. Waters' solo career, however, seemed to go smoothly. He played to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1990 and, more importantly, broke records for being the highest-grossing solo touring artist for The Wall Live tour.

We need to set the figurative stage by saying that when Roger Waters left Pink Floyd, he got the rights to "The Wall" while the band got to keep the name "Pink Floyd," among other things. Using his hard won intellectual property, Waters launched his six-legged The Wall Live tour in 2010 that ran through most of 2013. According to Billboard, the world tour grossed almost $460 million in ticket sales, which isn't too shabby at all.

This made Waters the third highest-grossing touring act and the highest-grossing solo touring artist ever at the time, having beat out the number two spot by over $50 million. The tour included 219 shows that vaguely resembled Pink Floyd's "The Wall" shows from the early '80s, consisting of building a physical wall between Waters and his audience.

Waters had been successful on his own, but it was nothing compared to this tour. In total, Waters has sold over 1 million albums as a solo musician and even released his own opera in 2005. Pink Floyd, on the other hand, has sold over 250 million albums and become a cultural icon. Waters masterminded much of what brought Pink Floyd to mainstream success, so it's no surprise he was able to break the touring record with "The Wall." It is, after all, one of the most recognizable albums Pink Floyd ever released.