Rick Wakeman

English keyboardist

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2024 Composed and performed an orchestral piece as a tribute to Jane Goodall at the Starmus Festival.
2024 Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph ranked Rick Wakeman as the second greatest keyboard player of all time, further cementing his legacy in music history.
November 2024 Released a 20-minute recorded version of Yessonata, paired with a piano suite based on King Arthur themes.
October 2024 Released his most recent album, Yessonata.
February 2024 Began the Final One Man Solo Tour of North America, which included the debut of his 30-minute piano composition 'Yessonata'.
2023 Wakeman revealed that macular degeneration in his left eye and arthritis in his hands and feet were affecting his ability to perform.
2023 Released 'A Gallery of the Imagination', demonstrating his ongoing creativity and musical exploration.
February 2023 Performed two shows at the London Palladium featuring The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and King Arthur in their entirety, along with Yes songs.
2022 Received the Musicians' Company Honorary Fellowship at the Royal College.
2021 Awarded a CBE for his services to music and broadcasting.
2021 Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Birthday Honours for services to music and broadcasting.
2020 Launched Rick's Plaice, a subscription-based video series based on the format of his former Planet Rock radio show.
June 2020 Wakeman returned to progressive rock with The Red Planet, an instrumental album inspired by Mars featuring his English Rock Ensemble.
2019 Prog magazine readers voted Wakeman the second greatest progressive rock keyboard player, acknowledging his pivotal role in defining the prog rock genre through his work with Yes.
2017 Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Yes and released Piano Portraits album.
2017 Became an ambassador for the animal welfare charity Animals Asia Foundation.
June 2017 Appeared as the castaway on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs programme.
January 2017 Released Piano Portraits, a solo piano album that peaked at No. 7 in the UK and received gold certification from the British Phonographic Institute.
2016 Wakeman announced that he had been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes.
June 19 2016 Wakeman released a re-recorded version of King Arthur and performed it live at London's O2 Arena for the Stone Free Festival.
January 2016 Wakeman reunited with Jon Anderson and Trevor Rabin, forming the band Anderson Rabin Wakeman (later renamed Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman), and toured from 2016 to 2018.
January 2016 Wakeman performed a piano version of 'Life on Mars?' live on BBC Radio 2 as a tribute to David Bowie, which led to the release of a charity single for Macmillan Cancer Support.
2014 Installed as the 110th Worshipful Master of the Chelsea Lodge and elected as the 125th King Rat in the Grand Order of Water Rats, becoming the first person to hold both titles.
April 2014 Wakeman performed the expanded Journey to the Centre of the Earth on a 14-date UK tour to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the original album.
2012 Wakeman recorded a new and extended version of Journey to the Centre of the Earth after discovering the original conductor's score, expanding the work to 54 minutes.
2012 Received an honorary fellowship of the Royal College of Music in a ceremony presented by HRH The Prince of Wales.
2011 MusicRadar included Rick Wakeman among 'The 27 greatest keyboard players of all time', recognizing his significant musical contributions.
2010 Wakeman clarified the urban legend about burning a Mellotron, stating it was only 'semi-true' and that some instruments beyond repair were dismantled and burnt, though he kept their frames.
2010 Wakeman was awarded the Spirit of Prog Award at the annual Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards.

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