George Roger Waters (born September 6, 1943) is an English singer-songwriter, musician, composer, guitarist, and political activist, best known as the co-founder, bassist, principal lyricist, and conceptual leader of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd from 1965 until his departure in 1985 amid internal conflicts. Born in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, Waters attended Cambridge County High School for Boys, where he met future Pink Floyd collaborator Syd Barrett, though he performed poorly academically—an experience later reflected in the band's hit 'Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)' critiquing the British education system. His father, Eric Fletcher Waters, a schoolteacher and member of the British Communist Party, was killed during the Battle of Anzio in World War II when Waters was an infant; his mother, Mary Waters (née Whyte), was also a teacher. Following Syd Barrett's departure in 1968, Waters became Pink Floyd's main creative force, shaping albums like The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977), and The Wall (1979). After leaving the band, he pursued a successful solo career, including staging The Wall as a live opera and composing screenplays. Waters continues touring and releasing music, maintaining significant cultural influence. He is a prominent political activist, notably a vocal supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, which has led to accusations of antisemitic rhetoric from critics including Ronald S. Lauder, with whom he has an adversarial relationship. He has been criticized for statements and imagery interpreted as invoking antisemitic tropes, such as Nazi comparisons in performances, though Waters denies antisemitism and frames his views as anti-Zionist. His activism extends to other causes, and he has undergone psychotherapy, contributing to a reportedly mellower demeanor in later years.