Bill Berry

American musician and long-time drummer for R.E.M. (Rapid Eye Movement), which was arguably the most important and influential American rock band of the post-punk era. The group formed in Athens, GA in 1980. He joined Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills for their concert debut on 5 April 1980. They put out their first single the following year, and soon began moving up in the charts.

Born in Minnesota, Bill Berry was raised in Macon, Georgia. He began playing the drums at age nine. While attending junior high school, he met bassist Mike Mills who eventually became his best friend. Berry and Mills played together in a number of local bands and attended the University of Georgia where they formed R.E.M. The group toured tirelessly before issuing their debut single "Radio Free Europe" in mid-1981. The record's success on college radio attracted the attention of IRS Records and they released the "Chronic Town" album a year later.

During a show in Switzerland in 1995, Berry suffered a brain hemorrhage. Although he resumed touring, he kept a low profile. On 30 October 1997 Berry announced that he was quitting R.E.M., saying he was ready to move on to a different phase of his life, while continuing his support of R.E.M. as their biggest fan.

In April 2000 Berry resurfaced in his first release since leaving R.E.M. playing drums on a new charity CD benefiting research into Tourette's Syndrome.