He was born in Duluth, Minnesota. His family soon moved to Macon, Georgia. He met bassist Mike Mills at high school in 1972. They played together in several different bands. Berry and Mills moved to Athens, Georgia in 1978, where they met Michael Stipe and Peter Buck. R.E.M. was formed in 1980. In 1995, Bill Berry collapsed on stage while touring, due to a brain aneurysm. He left R.E.M. in October 1997, citing personal reasons.
