Rick Wakeman Rick Wakeman Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist, songwriter, television and radio presenter, and author. He is best known for being in the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004 and for his solo albums released in the 1970s. He is a current member of Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman. Born and raised in West London, Wakeman intended to be a concert pianist but quit his studies at the Royal College of Music in 1969 to become a full-time session musician. His early sessions included playing on "Space
Rick Wakeman on "Madman Across the Water" by Elton John, and "Changes", "Oh! You Pretty Things", and "Life on Mars?" for Bowie's album "Hunky Dory". Bowie invited Wakeman to his home and played the outline of the tracks for him to learn; Wakeman later called them "the finest selection of songs I have ever heard in one sitting in my entire life". He also developed music for the 1972 film, "Zee and Co." In late 1971, an album compiled of pop tunes played by Wakeman on the piano was released as "Piano Vibrations" by Polydor Records. Wakeman did not receive any royalties