Alan White, the long-serving drummer for Yes, died at home at the age of 72 after a short illness, according to his wife, Gigi. The band acknowledged their surprise at the news, stating they were “shocked and astounded.” White’s death was confirmed by his family in a long tribute. According to rumors, the performer died after a “brief illness,” however no official cause of death was given.
White was one of the band’s original members, entering in 1972 to replace Bill Burford (who joined King Crimson). The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member is most recognized for his work with Yes, but he also performed in John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band.
Alan White, Plastic Ono Band drummer on ‘Imagine’, ‘Instant Karma!’ and many others, Rest in Peace. pic.twitter.com/T00H9TK9GE
— John Lennon ☮️🏳️ (@johnlennon) May 26, 2022
All About Alan White
Alan White was born on June 14, 1949, in Pelton, Durham, England. He started playing the drums when he was 12 years old and began performing in London bars the following year. He got a phone call from John Lennon in 1969 that transformed his life forever.
White stated:
“I believed it was a prank from a buddy, so I put the phone down.”
When I finally received a callback, he said he was having a show in Toronto and asked if I was available to play drums and if he could send a vehicle to pick me up the following morning.”
Eric Clapton, Yoko Ono, and Klaus Voormann were all on the same trip to Toronto as White. For a rare live engagement at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival, Lennon required a drummer. White put on the concert with little to no preparation. Lennon, on the other hand, was thrilled with his impromptu work and brought him into the studio to work on Imagine. Alan White, along with Jim Keltner and Jim Gordon, was one of three drummers on the album, but he was picked to work on the album’s renowned title tune.
Yes’s first UK No. 1 album, Tales from Topographic Oceans, was also his debut studio album. The band’s popularity continued — another chart-topper, 1977’s Going For the One – but by the early 1980s, keyboardist Rick Wakeman and vocalist Jon Anderson had quit. Despite the short appearances of Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes, Yes disbanded in 1981. White founded Cinema with Squire, Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye, and guitarist Trevor Rabin, and their tapes drew Jon Anderson back into the fold – they quickly relaunched the Yes moniker.
This marked the beginning of the group’s most financially successful era in the US, with the song Owner of a Lonely Heart hitting No. 1 in 1983. The lineup has evolved throughout the years, with Anderson and Howe rejoining in 1995, along with Wakeman for a short while, and another break from 2005 to 2008. Nonetheless, White has been the group’s rhythmic heart throughout.
Alan White has written scores of songs for them and has been on over 40 of their albums. Health concerns reduced his position with the band beginning in 2016, although he continued to play a piece of each live concert, with Jay Schellen handling the majority of the material. On July 28, 2019, he played with the band at The Mountain Winery in Saratoga Springs, California.
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