Robert Forster (musician)
The cerebral co-pilot of the Go-Betweens, crafting literate and emotionally resonant indie rock anthems that inspired a generation of songwriters.
Born 1957 (age 69)·Musical artist·Birthday: June 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Robert Forster, with his school friend Grant McLennan, formed the Go-Betweens in Brisbane, Australia, in the late 1970s, creating a band that would become one of indie rock's most cherished secrets. Forster served as the group's sharp, talk-singing counterpoint to McLennan's more melodic warmth, his guitar work weaving intricate patterns around lyrics that felt like short stories set to music. Despite critical worship, commercial success was elusive, leading to a hiatus in the late 80s after their masterpiece '16 Lovers Lane.' Forster embarked on a solo career and became a respected music critic, his writing as perceptive as his songs. The Go-Betweens' reunion in the early 2000s was tragically cut short by McLennan's death, but Forster has continued to honor their legacy through his own elegant solo work, cementing his status as a songwriter's songwriter whose influence far outweighs his chart placings.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Robert was born in 1957, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Robert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1957
#1 Movie
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Best Picture
The Bridge on the River Kwai
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Robert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1957Born
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1962Started school
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1970Became a teenager
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Could drive
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1975Could vote
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Turned 21
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1987Turned 30
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 40
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 50
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 60
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 69 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the influential indie rock band the Go-Betweens, penning classic songs like 'Spring Rain' and 'Head Full of Steam.'
- Released a series of acclaimed solo albums, beginning with 'Danger in the Past' in 1990, after the Go-Betweens initially disbanded.
- Worked as a music critic for major publications like The Monthly, bringing a practitioner's insight to his reviews.
- Was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006 as a member of the Go-Betweens.
Did You Know?
He wrote a widely-read eulogy for his bandmate Grant McLennan in The Monthly magazine after McLennan's death in 2006.
His 2016 solo album 'Songs to Play' was his first in seven years and was recorded with a new, younger band.
He is known for his distinctive, almost spoken-word vocal delivery and his sharp, geometric guitar style.
He and Grant McLennan were inspired to form a band after seeing the punk group The Saints play in Brisbane.
“A great song should be mysterious. You shouldn't know where it came from.”
