The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools. Hundreds of voters, which includes elected officials, people from the music industry and the media, teachers, and students, were asked in 2001 to choose the top 365 songs (not necessarily by Americans) of the 20th century with historical significance in mind. The voters were selected by RIAA, although only about 15% (200) of the 1,300 selected voters responded.^[1]

The list[link]

The list of the top 25 songs, in the order of votes received. Each song is followed by the name of an artist who made a recording of the song.

References[link]

External links[link]

• CNN article'
• Complete List
• RIAA press release, March 7, 2001
• National Public Radio "Talk of the Nation" broadcast hosted by Juan Williams with Bill Ivey, Chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts, March 14, 2001
• A Century of American Songs

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The Century: America's Time is a 15-part series of documentaries produced by the American Broadcasting Company on the 20th century and the rise of the United States as a superpower. The documentary originally aired on The History Channel in 1999. Another earlier series, simply called "The Century" also produced by ABC, appeared on the ABC network in 1999, and also later appeared on the History Channel. It consists of six two-hour shows with each chronicling two different events based around a common theme. The narrator of both series was Peter Jennings, anchor from ABC World News Tonight.

Along with distinguished journalist Todd Brewster, Jennings co-authored a book titled The Century which became a national bestseller. This series is part of the History Channel's "Cable in The Classroom" curriculum and the study guides for each episode can be found on their website, under the letter "C".

ABC ran a mini-marathon of the series on Saturday September 15, 2001 in reaction to the September 11th Attacks. The marathon signaled the transition from 24/7 news coverage, which had gone uninterrupted since the first reports of an incident at the World Trade Center, back to "normal" programming.

Study Guides

Episode Guide for The Century: America's Time

• 01) The Beginning: Seeds Of Change
• 02) 1914-1919 Shell Shock
• 03) 1920-1929 Boom To Bust
• 04) 1929-1936 Stormy Weather
• 05) 1936-1941 Over the Edge
• 06) 1941-1945 Civilians At War (2 Parts)
• 07) 1941-1945 Homefront
• 08) 1946-1952 Best Years
• 09) 1953-1960 Happy Days
• 10) 1960-1964 Poisoned Dreams
• 11) 1965-1970 Unpinned
• 12) 1971-1975 Approaching the Apocalypse
• 13) 1976-1980 Starting Over
• 14) 1981-1989 A New World
• 15) 1990-1999 Then and Now

Episode Guide for The Century: America's Time

01) The Beginning: Seeds Of Change (45 minutes)

How did the 20th century change the ways Americans live? This program examines the early 1900s – when William McKinley was President, a loaf of bread cost only a few cents, horsepower really meant horsepower, flying to the moon was the stuff of dreams, and the average life span was only 45 years – while looking ahead to the decades of changes yet to come.

02) 1914-1919 Shell Shock (45 minutes)

The psychological damage inflicted by the stupifying bombardments of World War I was called shell shock, a term that aptly described the feeling of the post-war world. This program illustrates America’s reluctant emergence as a world power and analyzes the impact of the wholesale sense of loss – of life, of husbands and fathers, and of sacred ideals such as honor, patriotism, and glory – that sprang from “the war to end all wars.”

03) 1920-1929 Boom To Bust (45 minutes)

In the aftermath of World War I, many modern-minded Americans, particularly women, were eager to do away with outdated traditions and claim new rights and freedoms. This program investigates why the issue of women’s rights, ranging from suffrage to smoking, became so controversial – and what that said about America’s sense of self.

04) 1929-1936 Stormy Weather (45 minutes)

America – a nation that claimed ever-increasing wealth as a birthright – was rudely awakened by the Great Depression, which caused 25 percent unemployment, the closing of 9,000 banks, and the loss of $2.5 billion in deposits. This program captures a people’s struggle as they faced the collapse of prosperity and diminished hope of being able to experience the American Dream.

05) 1936-1941 Over the Edge (45 minutes)

Safely watching Europe from across the Atlantic Ocean, many Americans observed the messianic popularity of Hitler and Mussolini and the subsequent outbreak of World War II with concern and dismay. This program explores the crucial question: could the United States resist involvement, or would American forces be sent to fight in another European war?

06) 1941-1945 Civilians At War (2 Parts) (70 minutes)

World War II was the first war in history that killed more civilians than sodiers, as leaders on both sides accepted noncombatnat casulties as inevitable – and, to some, even desirable. This program studies the cpirage and the strength necessary to face and survive starvation, bombing, torpedoing, massacre, and extermination in camps specifically designed for that purpose.

07) 1941-1945 Homefront (45 minutes)

The shock of Pearl Harbor awoke America from its dream of isolationism. As troops went overseas and industry ramped up to supply the urgent need for war materials, a new wave of Southern blacks migrated north and west to fill the workforce – along with millions of women, who exchanged housework for war work. This program discusses the effects of World War II on the home front, spotlighting the war’s impact as a catalyst for economic, demographic, and social change.

08) 1946-1952 Best Years (45 minutes)

Demobilization after World War II meant difficult changes as the U.S., geared up for war, resumed a peacetime existence. This program describes America’s new status as a superpower, as the nation shouldered the responsibility for rebuilding Europe and Japan – and for containing Soviet ambitions. The challenge faced by veterans and spouses to become reacquainted after years of separation and hardship is highlighted.

09) 1953-1960 Happy Days (45 minutes)

The post-war baby boom, suburban living, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis epitomizes the contentment of the Eisenhower years. But these were also years marked by rabid McCarthyism, violent civil rights demonstrations, and a frightening escalation in the Cold War. This program probes the tension between these crosscurrents in American History.

10) 1960-1964 Poisoned Dreams (45 minutes)

Beset by both international and domestic pressures, America during the Camelot years was swiftly approaching a political-cultural meltdown. This program documents U.S. – Soviet conflicts of interest in Cuba and Vietnam and the growing polarization at home between civil rights activists and segregationist hard-liners, which resulted in the Birmingham riots and the freedom march on Washington.

11) 1965-1970 Unpinned (45 minutes)

Riots and protests intensified in the U.S. as the war in Vietnam dragged on, with anti-war and civil rights activists seeking violent ways to agitate for peace and equality. This program presents the unrelenting rage that divided the nation during those perilous years, as the Watts race riots, the assassination of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, and the Kent State killing made Headline news.

12) 1971-1975 Approaching the Apocalypse (45 minutes)

The trauma of the war in Vietnam and the Watergate scandal left Americans exhausted, embittered, and disillusioned with politics and politicians. This program appraises the effects of those blights on the political landscape and their impact on the trust between the government and the governed, so vital to the well-being of a representative democracy such as the United States.

13) 1976-1980 Starting Over (45 minutes)

The women’s and civil rights movements, begun decades earlier and as controversial as ever, continue to evolve during the nation’s Bicentennial period. This program focuses on the changing momentum of feminism, hampered by its failure to secure broad ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, and the heated confrontations that arose over affirmative action and busing.

14) 1981-1989 A New World (45 minutes)

The Reagan era witnessed the unexpected end of the Cold War and a welcome return to a booming domestic economy – but did events unfold too quickly to control? This program takes a look at the details and the aftershocks both of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the yuppie capitalism that threatened to push the limits of the American economy too far.

15) 1990-1999 Then and Now (45 minutes)

Fifty years into the future, how will computer and communications technology reshape the way Americans work and play? What will be the benefits and consequences of biotechnology? Will the third-world nations dominate headline news? This program examines key moments of the ‘90s, reflects on changes during the last five decades, and, with the assistance of leading futurists, looks ahead to some of the possible events and innovations just over the horizon.

Episode Guide for "The Century" (earlier series)

• 01) Heaven And Earth: "Lindbergh's Journey" and "First Step"
• 02) Ultimate Power: "Evil Rising" and "The Race"
• 03) No Man's Land: "The Great War" and "The Fall"
• 04) Memphis Dreams: "Innocence and Rebellion" and "Searching for the Promised Land"
• 05) Coming Apart: "Nothing to Fear" and "Picture This"
• 06) The Evolution of Revolution: "Live from Tehran" and "Facing the New Millennium"

External links[link]

• Booknotes interview with Jennings on The Century, December 27, 1998.

This century is the 21st century in the Gregorian calendar.

See also[link]

• This year
• This decade

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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2009)

Billy Sherwood
Billy Sherwood in 1998
Background information
Birth name	William Wyman Sherwood
Born	(1965-03-14) 14 March 1965 (age 47)
Origin	Las Vegas, Nevada
Genres	Progressive rock
Occupations	Engineer, Producer, Songwriter, guitarist
Instruments	Guitar, keyboards, vocals
Years active	1980–present
Associated acts	Lodgic Yes Toto Circa Yoso

William "Billy" Wyman Sherwood (born March 14, 1965, Las Vegas, Nevada) is a musician, record producer, and engineer.

Biography[link]

Family[link]

Sherwood comes from a musical family which includes his father Bobby Sherwood, who was an actor, musician, and big band leader, his mother Phyllis, a singer and drummer, and brother Michael, a keyboardist and singer. His godfather is the late Milton Berle. Billy has a wife, Michi.

Lodgic[link]

Billy Sherwood's music career started when he joined a band formed by Michael. Called Lodgic, Billy played bass and sung while Michael played keyboards and sang back up. Lodgic also included Guy Allison on keyboards, Jimmy Haun on guitar and Gary Starns on drums. They eventually moved the band to Los Angeles in 1980. After many years of trying to get things together, they recorded their debut album Nomadic Sands, released in 1985.

World Trade[link]

Lodgic eventually broke up, and Billy Sherwood put together a new band with Guy Allison. They recruited guitarist Bruce Gowdy and drummer Mark T. Williams to form World Trade. They recorded their self-titled debut in 1989, with Sherwood taking on the roles of engineer, mixer, and producer again, along with his band duties as bassist and lead singer.

Yes and other projects[link]

Then, Sherwood and Gowdy were asked to come and jam with Chris Squire, Alan White, and Tony Kaye of Yes. Singer Jon Anderson and guitarist Trevor Rabin had left the band and the idea was for Sherwood and Gowdy to replace them in the band. Rabin returned to the band, but demos were recorded by a line-up of Squire, White, Kaye, Rabin and Sherwood. However, Yes were to merge with Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe and Sherwood was relegated to the role of side musician, appearing on one track of the subsequent album Union. Like Trevor Horn before him, Sherwood was uncomfortable with the idea of replacing Anderson as the front man of Yes, but he struck up a friendship with Squire that would lead to work with him throughout the next 20 years.

During the hiatus of Yes, Squire put together the Chris Squire Experiment, having Sherwood as the lead singer while playing some guitar and keyboards. Sherwood then went on to record a project called The Key with guitarist Marty Walsh, though they would not release the album until 1997.

Behind the board, Sherwood worked with Motörhead, Dangerous Toys, and Paul Rodgers (formerly of Bad Company) as producer and engineer. Sherwood also guested on Toto's Kingdom of Desire album, singing and playing bass. He also produced a couple of tribute albums, including Jeffology, a tribute to Jeff Beck. Sherwood then joined Yes on tour as an additional musician, playing guitar and keyboards for their tour in support of Talk.

Sherwood got back together with his band mates from World Trade and released Euphoria in 1995, with Jay Schellen replacing Williams on drums. After this, he worked with a multitude of artists. Most of his work was as producer, mixer and engineer, including on more tribute albums: Dragon Attack, a tribute to Queen; Salute to AC/DC; and Crossfire, a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Sherwood would co-produce, engineer and mix the new studio tracks for Yes's Keys to Ascension and Keys to Ascension 2 albums. Sherwood started work on a third album by World Trade, but the band would fall apart. He would later use much of that material as his debut solo album The Big Peace,^{[citation needed]} released in 1999.

After the two Keys to Ascension albums, Rick Wakeman left Yes. Sherwood's friendship with Chris Squire would then lead him being asked to join the band again. The material that they had written together was used as the basis of what would become Open Your Eyes, released in 1997 by Yes. Sherwood played guitar and keyboards. Igor Khoroshev would join the band before the tour as the keyboardist leaving Sherwood to playing guitar and supplying backing vocals.

After returning from the tour, Sherwood and Yes returned to the studio to record The Ladder. During this time too, Sherwood and Squire started putting the finishing touches on their album Conspiracy, largely based on the Chris Squire Experiment material, which was released while Yes was on tour in support of The Ladder in 2000. Billy also took time to perform on his brother Michael's album Tangletown, released in 1999.

Yes recorded a show during The Ladder tour in Sherwood's hometown of Las Vegas at the House of Blues. This was released as an album and DVD titled House of Yes. Then after the tour, an announcement came that Sherwood was no longer a member of Yes.

Recent career[link]

After his departure from Yes, Sherwood worked with Chris Squire to release Conspiracy, including some work they composed together some years before. Following that, Sherwood composed his first solo album called The Big Peace in which he played most of all the instruments and also produced. The album was a sort of back to basis of his progressive roots.^{[citation needed]}

In 2003, Sherwood released another album with Chris Squire, the project becoming known as Conspiracy. The album was titled The Unknown.

More recently, Sherwood has been working on further tribute albums, notably Back Against the Wall and Return to the Dark Side of the Moon, tributes to Pink Floyd's The Wall and The Dark Side of the Moon respectively. The latter includes a new track recorded with Tony Kaye.

In 2007, a new band with Sherwood, Alan White, Tony Kaye and Jimmy Haun was announced, called Circa. With the release of their debut album Circa 2007 and a live DVD concert, Circa has played various live dates. White left the band and was replaced by Jay Schellen.

Sherwood is also credited for writing the theme song for the online anime series, Kung Fu Jimmy Chow.^[1]

In August 2008, Billy Sherwood's released his third solo album, At the Speed of Life, for which he received an award that year as the best Progressive Rock Producer.^{[citation needed]}

On January 14, 2009, Circa self-released on the Internet its second studio album, Circa HQ. This time, White was not available due to his commitments with Yes (who had begun a new tour). Sherwood's long time friend, collaborator and drummer, Jay Schellen, replaced White on the album. After a short international tour, Sherwood and co. started another project with former Toto singer, Bobby Kimball. Kimball, Sherwood, Tony Kaye and Jimmy Haun formed new band, Yoso, with a debut studio album in April 2009. Haun later abandoned the line-up (in order to focus on his work for adverts). He was replaced by Yes tribute band guitarist, Johnny Bruhns. Schellen chose to focus on his work in Asia Featuring John Payne and, after a number of other drummers, the band toured with Scott Connor on drums. Yoso then disbanded. Sherwood also released his fourth solo album, Oneirology.

In 2011, CIRCA: returned with a new line-up of Sherwood, Kaye, Bruhns and Connor, while Sherwood released his fifth solo album, What was the Question?.

Equipment[link]

Sherwood mainly plays Carvin guitars, 6- and 12-string; his main guitar, which he's played since Yes, is a red Carvin, Telecaster-shaped, with a Roland V-guitar pickup. His acoustic guitars are made by Babicz. He uses Line 6 amplifiers with 4x12" cabinets.^[2]

Discography[link]

[edit] With World Trade

• World Trade (1989)
• Euphoria (1995)

[edit] With Lodgic

• Nomadic Sands (1985)

[edit] With Yes

• Open Your Eyes (1997)
• The Ladder (1999)
• House of Yes: Live from House of Blues (2000)

[edit] With Conspiracy

• Conspiracy (2000)
• The Unknown (2003)

[edit] With Circa

• Circa 2007 (2007)
• Circa Live (2009, + DVD 2008)
• Circa HQ (2009)
• Overflow (2009)
• And So On (2011)

[edit] With Yoso

• Elements (2010)

Solo Albums[link]

• The Big Peace (1999)
• No Comment (2003)
• At the Speed of Life (2008)
• Oneirology (2010)
• What Was the Question? (2011)

Other Appearances[link]

• Yes - Union (1991)
• Toto - Kingdom of Desire (1992)
• Air Supply - The Vanishing Race (1993)
• Paul Rodgers: Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters (1993)
• Various Artists - Supper's Ready (1995)
• Various Artists - The Moon Revisited (1995)
• Various Artists - Tales From Yesterday (1995)
• Air Supply - News from Nowhere (1995)
• Various Artists - Crossfire: A Salute To Stevie Ray Vaughan (1996)
• Various Artists - Dragon Attack-A Tribute To Queen (1997)
• The Key - The World is Watching (1997)
• Treason - Treason (1997)
• Ratt - Collage (1997)
• Various Artists - Thunderbolt-A Tribute To AC/DC
• Michael Sherwood - Tangletown (1998)
• Jack Russell - For You (2002)
• Todd Rundgren - Todd Rundgren And His Friends (2002)
• Various Artists - Pigs & Pyramids-An All Star Lineup Performing The Songs Of Pink Floyd (2002)
• Ignition - Ignition (2003)
• Various Artists - Bat Head Soup-A Tribute To Ozzy Osbourne (2003)
• Asia - Silent Nation (2004)
• John 5 - Vertigo (2004)
• Various Artists - Back Against The Wall (2005)
• Various Artists - Return To The Dark Side Of The Moon (2006)
• Various Artists - An '80s Metal Tribute To Journey (2006)
• Various Artists - Lights Out: The Ultimate Tribute To UFO (2006)
• Various Artists - An All-Star Tribute To Lynyrd Skynyrd (2007)
• Various Artists - Led Box: The Ultimate Tribute To Led Zeppelin (2008)
• Graham Russell - The Future (2007)
• Various Artists - 70's Box: The Sound Of A Decade (2007)
• Various Artists - Big Movies, Big Music Volume 1 (2008)
• Various Artists - Big Networks, Big Music Volume 2 (2008)
• Various Artists - Big Networks, Big Music Volume 9 (2008)
• Various Artists - Ultimate Holiday Party Volume 1 (2008)
• Various Artists - Ultimate Christmas Party Volume 2 (2008)
• Various Artists - Ultimate Christmas Party Volume 3 (2008)
• Various Artists - A Tribute To Thin Lizzy (2008)
• Various Artists - Abbey Road: A Tribute To The Beatles' (2009)
• Various Artists - An All-Star Salute to Christmas (2010)
• Nigel Briggs - Unwind (2010)
• Edison's Lab - Edison's Lab (TBR in 2012)

References[link]

External links[link]

• BillySherwood.com – official website
• Billy Sherwood on Myspace
• Billy Sherwood discography
• Fan news page
• French Website

Rick Wakeman
Rick Wakeman in 2003.
Background information
Birth name	Richard Christopher Wakeman
Born	(1949-05-18) 18 May 1949 (age 63) Perivale, London, England
Genres	Rock, progressive rock, pop, electronica, jazz fusion, classical, Christian music
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Keyboards, piano, synthesiser
Years active	1969–present
Labels	A&M, Charisma, President Records, Voiceprint, Griffin, EMI, Music Fusion, Hot Productions, Studio T
Associated acts	Yes, Strawbs, ABWH, David Bowie, Warhorse, Black Sabbath, Cat Stevens
Website	www.rwcc.com

Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes. He is also known for his solo albums, contributing to the BBC comedy series Grumpy Old Men and for Rick's Place, his former radio show on Planet Rock that aired until December 2010.

Wakeman was born in West London. He purchased his first electronic keyboard at 12 years of age. In 1968, he studied the piano, clarinet, orchestration and modern music at the Royal College of Music before leaving after a year in favour of session music work. He went on to feature on songs by artists including Black Sabbath,^[1] David Bowie, T. Rex, Elton John and Cat Stevens. Wakeman joined the folk group Strawbs in 1969 and played on three of their albums. He first joined Yes in 1971 to replace Tony Kaye, and left the group in 1974 to work on his solo career. He returned in 1976 before leaving with lead vocalist Jon Anderson in 1980. Wakeman was part of the side project Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, a group of ex-Yes members formed in 1989, and the eight-member Yes line-up that followed until his third departure in 1992. He returned for two years in 1995 and once more in 2002, where he was part of the band's 35th anniversary tour until its end in 2004.

Wakeman began his solo career during his first run with Yes. His perhaps most known records being his first three, The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1973), Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1974) and The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (1975). He has produced over 100 solo albums that have sold more than 50 million copies.^[2] In November 2010, Wakeman was awarded the Spirit of Prog award at the annual Marshall Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards.^[3]

Early life[link]

Rick Wakeman was born on 18 May 1949 in the west London suburb of Northolt to Cyril Frank and Mildred Helen Wakeman.^[4][5] He attended Wood End Infants School in 1954, followed by Drayton Manor Grammar School in 1959.^[6] He started playing the piano at the age of 5 and purchased his first electronic keyboard at the age of 12.^[7] In 1968, Wakeman secured a place at the Royal College of Music, where he studied piano, clarinet, orchestration and modern music. He left a year later in favour of session music work.

Music career[link]

Rick Wakeman photographic portrait by Augusto De Luca

Session work and the Strawbs (1969–1971)[link]

Wakeman became an active session musician. In June 1969, he played Mellotron on David Bowie's single "Space Oddity" for a session fee of £9.^[8] He went on to play piano for Bowie's "Life on Mars?", "Changes" and "Oh! You Pretty Things" in April 1971 and "Absolute Beginners" in 1985. He also played the piano on the Cat Stevens' hit "Morning Has Broken". In 1971 he acquired an early Minimoog synthesiser, purchasing it at half price from actor Jack Wild who believed that it was defective because it only played one note at a time.^[7][9]

In 1970 and 1971, Wakeman was part of the folk rock group Strawbs. His first appearance on an album sleeve was on Dragonfly, the group's second studio album released in February 1970. The band held a concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London on 11 July 1970 where Wakeman performed a solo piano piece named "Temparament of Mind". He received a standing ovation for his performance, and the track appeared on the band's live record released that year, Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios.^[10] Wakeman appeared on the front page of Melody Maker soon after, which called him "Tomorrow's Superstar",^[11] and composed the theme music to the television show Ask Aspel.^[12] He remained in the Strawbs for a third album, From the Witchwood, but left the group in mid-1971.

Joining Yes and start of solo career (1971–1975)[link]

In 1971, Wakeman joined the progressive rock band Yes, replacing their organist Tony Kaye. His first concert with the group took place in Leicester on 30 September 1971.^[13] He worked on the group's fourth, fifth and sixth studio albums – Fragile (1971), Close to the Edge (1972), and Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973). Wakeman, however, felt Tales from Topographic Oceans was pretentious and – despite its ambition – insubstantial. He disliked performing the album on tour, feeling the length of the songs prevented the band from playing their more popular tracks. Following the tour, as the band began work on what would become Relayer (1974), Wakeman felt further alienated from the group. Disenchanted with the direction in which Yes was going, and already into a successful solo career, he left.^{[citation needed]}

Wakeman produced his first three solo albums during his first run with Yes. On 23 January 1973,^[14] he released The Six Wives of Henry VIII, an instrumental concept album based on his interpretations of the musical characteristics of the wives of Henry VIII, using keyboard instruments. The album was overall well received by critics. TIME magazine named the record one of the best pop albums of 1973.^[15] In October 1975, the album was certified Gold.^[16]

On 18 January 1974, Wakeman performed Journey to the Centre of the Earth, a forty-minute piece based on the Jules Verne novel of the same name, at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Combining rock with an orchestra and choir, the concert was recorded and released on 18 May, where it topped the UK album charts on entry for one week. The record became a multi-million dollar seller in six weeks.^[17] The album was certified Gold in September 1974.^[16]

In May 1975, Wakeman released The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, with the album was performed live at the Empire Pool on ice. The show was well received but expensive to produce, consuming much of the income from sales of the album.^[7][18] The album was also a worldwide success, reaching No.21 in the United States while going Gold (the third time a Wakeman record had achieved this) in Brazil, Japan and Australia.^[19] The album has sold 12 million copies.^[20]

In 1975, Wakeman produced the first of two soundtracks for films by Ken Russell, that being Lisztomania; Wakeman would go on to create the soundtrack for Crimes of Passion in 1984. In 1976, Wakeman produced and created the album No Earthly Connection in France.

Rejoining Yes (1976–1980)[link]

Wakeman returned to 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.^[21][22]

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe and Yes (1989–1992)[link]

In 1989, he joined with three fellow ex-Yes members to form Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe ("ABWH"). After ABWH's first album, some of the completed tracks for a planned second album were merged with tracks from an in-progress Yes album to create the album Union. Wakeman, along with the combined members of both bands then joined to form a Yes supergroup (made up of past and present members of Yes) for the subsequent tour in 1991. When the tour ended a year later, Wakeman left again.

Fourth run with Yes (1995–1997)[link]

He then returned in 1996 for the Keys to Ascension albums but left before the band could tour.

Fifth run with Yes and Hampton Court (2002–2009)[link]

In 2002, he rejoined Yes and stayed with the band until their 2008 In The Present Tour. For the group's 40th anniversary tour, Wakeman was replaced by his son, Oliver Wakeman.

In 2008, Wakeman toured with a solo show named Rick Wakeman's Grumpy Old Picture Show, featuring an evening of music and stories.

In May 2009, Wakeman performed The Six Wives of Henry VIII live at Hampton Court Palace for the first time, for two nights. The performance was recorded and released as The Six Wives of Henry VIII Live at Hampton Court Palace.

Instruments[link]

Wakeman performing at the Royal Albert Hall in aid of the Performing Right Society for Music Members' Benevolent Fund in 2009.

Although Wakeman is a noted player of the grand piano, electric piano, Hammond organ, Minimoog and many later models of synthesiser, he is well known as an exponent (for a time) of the Mellotron – an analogue electronic musical instrument that uses a bank of pre-recorded magnetic tape strips, each of which is activated by a separate key on its keyboard and lasts approximately 8 seconds. Wakeman featured playing this instrument, to varying degrees, on the David Bowie track "Space Oddity", the Yes albums Fragile, Close to the Edge and Tales From Topographic Oceans, as well as the solo albums The Six Wives of Henry VIII and White Rock. It proved too unwieldy and unreliable for regular touring, and he eventually doused the last Mellotron that he owned in petrol and set fire to it in a field.^[23] Undeterred, he worked with David Biro to develop the Birotron, which used the then popular 8-track cassette format rather than tape strips. Because of the advent of digital keyboards at that time, and also because the cassette tape format could not reproduce the attack and decay of musical notes (which the tape strips of the Mellotron could reproduce), the Birotron was never a commercial or technical success. Only 35 Birotrons were produced, and Wakeman eventually threw his across the stage after it broke down mid-concert, an action he now regrets as there are only six remaining examples.^[23]

Recent years[link]

Wakeman's track "Arthur" has been used as the theme tune to the BBC's Election Night Coverage since 1979, with the exception of 2001 and 2010. Wakeman's album Fields of Green '97 features the track "Election '97/Arthur" which was used by the BBC for their coverage of the 1997 General Election. The music was revamped for the BBC's 2005 general election night coverage.

His TV career was launched in 1982 when he hosted Gastank on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. The show featured a mix of interviews with 1970s musicians and impromptu performances where the guest artist would join Wakeman and his house band in playing re-arranged versions of their classic songs or entirely new pieces created for the show. Wakeman hosted the ITV comedy show Live at Jongleurs for 8 years.

Wakeman is a contributor to the BBC Two show Grumpy Old Men. He has also appeared in a number of episodes of Countdown. He has also appeared on the satirical panel shows Never Mind the Buzzcocks (4 appearances) and Have I Got News For You. Between September 2005 and December 2010, Wakeman presented Rick's Place, a weekly radio show on Planet Rock with David 'Kid' Jensen. Wakeman appeared as himself in "Journey to the Centre of Rick Wakeman", the season two finale 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 Wakeman could stop. Wakeman provided piano for Benn's 2008 single "Sing Like an Angel", which was released on iTunes. In December 2006, Wakeman was the guest host for an episode of The Personality Test on Radio 4. He also appeared on Top Gear and set a race track lap time of 1'55.26. Wakeman made his debut appearance on Just a Minute on Radio 4 on 7 February 2011.^[24]

In October 2007, Wakeman commenced a new tour 'Rick Wakeman's Grumpy Old Picture Show', where he accompanies video performers such as Gordon Giltrap and the English Rock Ensemble (Ashley Holt, Lee Pomeroy, Dave Colquhoun and Tony Fernandez). A Freemason, he is a member of Chelsea Lodge No. 3098, the membership of which is made up of entertainers.^[25] In 2009, Wakeman became a Patron of Tech Music Schools.

In 2011, Wakeman, alongside Fiaba's drummer Bruno Rubino, has been recording and arranging the debut full-length studio album of the Italian singer Valentina Blanca.^{[citation needed]}

In January 2012, Wakeman appeared as part of a group backing Jasper Carrott on BBC 1's The One Jasper Carrott.

Personal life[link]

On 28 March 1970, Wakeman married his first wife Rosaline Woolford at twenty years of age^[26] and had two sons, Oliver (b. 26 February 1972) and Adam (b. 11 March 1974). Rick and Rosaline divorced in 1977, and Wakeman married studio secretary Danielle Corminboeuf in January 1980 in the West Indies,^[27] with whom he had one son, Benjamin (b. 1978).^[28] He had a daughter, Jemma Kiera (b. 21 February 1983), with former Page 3 model Nina Carter^[29] and the two married in 1984 followed by the birth of their son, Oscar (b. 14 May 1986).^[30] He has had a renewal of his Christian faith,^[31] which began around the time of his marriage to Nina Carter.^[32] Nina and Rick divorced in December 2004.^[33]

Rick Wakeman had a daughter Manda (b. 9 May 1986) with his long time friend, designer and seamstress Denise Gandrup, whom he first met in 1972. Denise designed much of Wakeman's stage outfits including his famous capes.^[34][35]

In his twenties, Wakeman suffered three heart attacks.^[21] The first occurred after a performance of Journey to the Centre of the Earth at the Crystal Palace Bowl on 27 July 1974.

In 1980 he was mis-diagnosed as having rheumatoid arthritis in his hands. He only found out in 2008 that the pain he was suffering was just due to sudden overwork after a period of lack of keyboard practice.^[36]

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^{[citation needed]}, he moved on to Manchester City F.C. but maintained his allegiance to Brentford. He was 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.^{[citation needed]}

Wakeman has been president of the show business charity The Heritage Foundation. The charity erects blue plaques on the homes and/or work-places of late entertainers and sportspeople. He is also Honorary President of the Classic Rock Society, a UK-based organisation helping to promote classic and progressive rock.

Discography[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Wakeman, Rick (1995). Say Yes! An Autobiography. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-62151-6. 
• Wakeman, Rick (2008). Grumpy Old Rockstar: and Other Wondrous Stories. Preface Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84809-004-0. 
• Wakeman, Rick (2010). Further Adventures of a Grumpy Old Rockstar. Arrow. ISBN 978-1-84809-176-4. 

References[link]

• Wooding, Dan (1979). Rick Wakeman: The Caped Crusader. Granada Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-0-586-04853-5. 
• Wakeman, Rick (1995). Say Yes! An Autobiography. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-62151-6. 
• Welch, Chris (2008). Close to the Edge - The Story of Yes. Music Sales. ISBN 978-1-84772-132-7. 

External links[link]

• Rick Wakeman's Communication Centre
• Rick Wakeman's Official Press Photos
• Rick Wakeman at the Internet Movie Database