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Richard Christopher Wakeman (born May 18, 1949 in Perivale, London, United Kingdom) is a British keyboard player best known as the keyboardist for progressive rock group Yes. Originally a classically trained pianist, he was a pioneer in the use of electronic keyboards and in the use of a rock band in combination with orchestra and choir.

History

Wakeman was born in the suburb of Perivale, West London, and attended Drayton Manor Grammar School. He initially studied piano, clarinet, orchestration and modern music at the Royal College of Music, but he was expelled due to neglect of his studies in favour of work as a session musician.

In 1970, Wakeman played with The Strawbs and David Bowie. He joined Yes in 1971, following keyboardist Tony Kaye's departure. His first album with the band was Fragile released 1971 in the UK and 1972 in the US, and his last was Tales From Topographic Oceans, released in 1973. He also played on Close to the Edge (his favourite Yes album) and Yessongs. He left the band following the Tales from Topographic Oceans tour.

Of all the members of the band, Wakeman is the only non-vegetarian, a difference which contributed to his first departure from the band. The primary reason for that initial departure, however, was musical differences. Wakeman felt Tales From Topographic Oceans was thin on substance and did not connect with its themes. Further, he did not enjoy the experience of reproducing the entire work on stage each night. Following the tour, as the band begun work on what would become Relayer, Wakeman felt further alienated from the group. Disenchanted with the direction Yes were going, and already into a successful solo career, Wakeman jumped ship.

During this time, he released his second solo album, The Six Wives Of Henry VIII, which showcases his skills with various electronic and acoustic keyboard instruments. Some members of Yes played their respective instruments on certain tracks.

He rejoined Yes for their 1977 album Going For The One. He remained until their next album, Tormato, a year later. He is reputed to have given the album its name by throwing a tomato at a showing of the art used for the album's cover.
He rejoined the band in 1991 but left a year later. He then returned in 1996 for the Keys to Ascension albums but left before the band could tour. In 2002, he rejoined Yes and has been with the group ever since, but also enjoys a successful solo career.

He has also performed as a guest or session musician for artists as disparate as John Williams, Brotherhood of Man, Elton John, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Cat Stevens (including piano on Steven's hit cover of the hymn "Morning Has Broken"), T. Rex and Black Sabbath.

Wakeman played the temperamental Mellotron – an electronic musical instrument that used a bank of prerecorded tape strips, activated by each key on its keyboard. He invented the Birotron, developed with David Biro, to overcome the quirks and challenges of the Mellotron. The Birotron was not a commercial or technical success.

Personal Life

A self-confessed former alcoholic, he had several heart attacks in his 20s. He married former Page 3 model Nina Carter, although they have since divorced. He has had a renewal of his Christian faith.
Children include Adam Wakeman, Oliver Wakeman, Oscar Wakeman, Jemma Wakeman, Ben Wakeman, and Amanda Wakeman who have inherited their father's interest in music.

A passionate football fan, Wakeman has supported Brentford F.C. since he was a child, and later on he also became a director of the West London club. After a disagreement with the board, he now supports Manchester City F.C. He was also involved in the ownership of the American soccer club Philadelphia Fury in the late '70s, along with other rock celebrities such as Peter Frampton and Paul Simon.

He is a strong supporter of the UK's Conservative Party, and performed a concert in September 2004 for the benefit of the party. His Arthur section of his King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table suite is used as the theme tune to the BBC's Election Night Coverage since 1979 (with the exception of 2001). Furthermore Wakeman released Fields of Green '97, which featured the track Election '97/Arthur, which was used by the BBC for their coverage of the 1997 General Election. The music was further revamped for the BBC's 2005 Election Night Coverage.

Rick can currently be seen as a contributor on BBC2's series, Grumpy Old Men. He has also appeared in a number of episodes of Countdown; about twenty per year, according to Wakeman. He currently (2006) presents a weekly programme on Planet Rock.

Rick appeared as himself in "Journey to the Centre of Rick Wakeman", the last episode of season 2 of Mitch Benn's Crimes Against Music, a BBC Radio 4 comedy programme. The episode detailed a fictional war between England and Wales in 2009 which only Rick could stop. The majority of the episode was set inside Rick where Mitch and his team are sent to rouse him from a coma and thus stop the war.

Discography (solo and with his son Adam)

• 1971 Piano Vibrations
  
• 1973 The Six Wives of Henry VIII
  
• 1974 Journey to the Centre of the Earth
  
• 1975 The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
  
• 1975 Lisztomania (also acted in the film)
  
• 1976 No Earthly Connection
  
• 1977 Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record
  
• 1977 White Rock (soundtrack to winter Olympics)
  
• 1978 The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Performs the Best Known Works of Rick Wakeman
  
• 1979 Rhapsodies
  
• 1981 The Burning (soundtrack)
  
• 1981 1984 (soundtrack)
  
• 1982 Rock 'N' Roll Prophet
  
• 1983 Cost of Living (soundtrack)
  
• 1983 G'ole! (soundtrack to 1982 Soccer World Cup)
  
• 1984 Black Nights in the Court of Ferdinand IV
  
• 1985 Silent Nights
  
• 1985 Live at Hammersmith
  
• 1986 Country Airs
  
• 1986 Crimes of Passion (soundtrack)
  
• 1987 The Gospels
  
• 1987 Family Album
  
• 1988 Time Machine
  
• 1988 Suite of Gods
  
• 1988 Zodiaque
  
• 1989 Sea Airs
  
• 1990 Night Airs
  
• 1990 Phantom Power (soundtrack)
  
• 1990 In the Beginning
  
• 1991 Rock'n'Roll Prophet Plus (reissue of Rock'n'Roll Prophet plus 4 new tracks)
  
• 1991 Aspirant Sunset
  
• 1991 Aspirant Sunrise
  
• 1991 Aspirant Shadows
  
• 1991 Suntrilogy
  
• 1991 The Classical Connection (remakes of earlier works)
  
• 1991 2000 A.D. Into the Future
  
• 1991 African Bach
  
• 1991 Softsword: King John and the Magna Charter
  
• 1993 Heritage Suite
  
• 1993 Classic Tracks
  
• 1993 Wakeman with Wakeman
  
• 1993 No Expense Spared
  
• 1993 The Classical Connection II
  
• 1993 Prayers
  
• 1994 Wakeman with Wakeman: The Official Bootleg (live)
  
• 1994 Live on the Test (live – recorded in 1976)
  
• 1994 Rick Wakeman's Greatest Hits (remakes of old works)
  
• 1995 The Piano Album
  
• 1995 Seven Wonders of the World
  
• 1995 Cirque Surreal
  
• 1995 Romance of the Victorian Age
  
• 1995 King Biscuit Flower Hour – In Concert (live – recorded in 1975)
  

• 1995 Visions
  
• 1995 Simply Acoustic (known as The Piano Album)
  
• 1995 The Private Collection
  
• 1995 Almost Live in Europe (live)
  
• 1996 Fields of Green
  
• 1996 Voyage (compilation)
  
• 1996 The New Gospels
  
• 1996 Tapestries
  
• 1996 The Word and Music
  
• 1996 Orisons
  
• 1996 Can You Hear Me?
  
• 1996 Vignettes
  
• 1997 Tribute (Beatles covers)
  
• 1998 Themes
  
• 1999 Return to the Centre of the Earth
  
• 1999 The Natural World Trilogy
  
• 1999 The Art in Music Trilogy
  
• 1999 White Rock II
  
• 1999 Stella Bianca alla corte de Re Ferdinando
  
• 2000 Recollections: The Very Best of Rick Wakeman 1973-1979 (compilation)
  
• 2000 Preludes to a Century
  
• 2000 Chronicles of Man
  
• 2000 Christmas Variations
  
• 2000 Rick Wakeman Live in Concert 2000 (live)
  
• 2001 Out of the Blue
  
• 2001 Classical Variations
  
• 2001 Two Sides of Yes
  
• 2002 The Wizard and the Forest of All Dreams
  
• 2002 Wakeman & Cousins – Hummingbird
  
• 2002 The Yes Piano Variations
  
• 2002 Two Sides of Yes – Volume 2
  
• 2003 Out There
  
• 2005 Rick Wakeman at Lincoln Cathedral
  
• 2006 Retro
  

See also

• Oliver Wakeman
  
• Adam Wakeman
  
• Jon Anderson
  
• Steve Howe
  
• Chris Squire
  
• Tony Fernandez
  
• The Strawbs
  
• Keith Emerson
  
• Patrick Moraz
  
• Vangelis
  
• Jean-Michel Jarre
  
• Tomita
  
• Kitaro
  
• Wendy Carlos
  
• Larry Fast
  
• Yanni
  
• Ennio Morricone
  
• Tangerine Dream
  
• Eloy Fritsch
  
• Mike Oldfield
  
• Suzanne Ciani
  
• New Age Music
  
• Electronic Music
  

External links

• Rick Wakeman's Communication Centre
  
• Yes World
  
• Rick Wakeman Italian Site
  
• Steve Raiteri's Album Recommendations
  
• Recollection - Rick Wakeman Solo Discography
  
• Rick Wakeman Discography (Yescography page)
  
• 
  
• Martin Christison's 2003 Yes tour in Australia photos
  
• Amazing Rick Wakeman keyboard solo
  
• Rick's page at Planet Rock
  

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