Rick Wakeman Quotes

• When I die, I’ll probably climb out of the coffin and play the organ at my own funeral!

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Play, Die, Climb

• The studio is not the place to write. You need to be 75% ready when you go into the studio, and then the music can develop to the next stage.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Music, Need, Place

• People like Frank Zappa were amazing for us Brits.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Amazing

• My life revolves around music and always will. I need to be a part of music and not an observer.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Music, Need, Around

• My faith is very private to me. It plays an important part in my life, but I do not try and throw my beliefs at others. I have tremendous respect for all faiths and beliefs, but have a deep concern that religion and faith are currently a long way apart from each other.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Respect

  Tags in Important, Deep

• My earliest professional musical experiences were really as a session player, and every day was an adventure. Three sessions a day, every day, and you never knew who you would be working with until you arrived at the studio.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Day, Working

• I’ve been married three times and divorced three times.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Married, Times

• I’m always writing or playing because that is my life.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Writing, Playing

• I was born in 1949 – which seems like a long time ago… Actually, it is a long time ago, when I think about it.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Long, Actually, Born

• I read numerous books – loads in fact – and, as I always do when recording a historical project, immersed myself into the subject matter. I spent many hours at Henry’s old homes, such as Hampton Court, and visiting the Tower of London. I read no other books during that period.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Myself, Old, Matter

• I like Toronto a lot, it’s a good city. The only thing that really annoys me about Toronto is that you’re turning Maple Leaf Gardens into a grocery store, which is absolutely nothing short of disgusting.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Nothing, Short, City

• I always say that it’s about breaking the rules. But the secret of breaking rules in a way that works is understanding what the rules are in the first place.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Place, Secret, Rules

• Even the two times that I left, I never really felt like I left the band. It’s very bizarre. It’s like there’s sort of an umbilical cord that stretches between us spiritually.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Between, Times

• Country and western is the music of the devil. That’s the real truth of the matter. My late Mother, bless her, loved country and western. God, I couldn’t handle it.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in God, Truth

  Tags in Music

• Coming back to Yes is like never having left. Even when I have not been in the band, I have always felt part of it.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Back, Left, Felt

• But I’d play on everything from pop records to a lot of the glam stuff to rock stuff to classical stuff. I used to get called to do all those things, it was great.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Everything, Play, Rock

• But I listen to live recordings of things that I did back in the ’70s and then how I’ve done things since. And there’s no doubt about it: if I compare the two, it’s like chalk and cheese.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Live, Back

• As a songwriter, I was influenced by David Bowie – a great writer. A class above everybody in so many ways. Lennon and McCartney, of course. Class stuff. David Cousins was my favorite lyricist.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Everybody, Stuff, Writer

• Actually, I only left twice. I left then, and then rejoined literally two years later for Going For The One.

  Rick Wakeman

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Actually, Play

Rick Wakeman (19)

Birth:	18th May, 1949
Nationality:	British
Profession:	Lyricist, Musician

About

Richard Christopher Wakeman 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.

Related Authors

• Eddy Arnold
• Neko Case
• Guy Picciotto
• Jim Sturgess
• Tammin Sursok
• Dan Hawkins
• Keith Moon
• Bruce Arthur Johnston
• Angel Haze
• Graham Nash

Advertisement

Today's Anniversary - 21st January

Births

• 1944 - Jong Yong Yun
• 1884 - Roger Nash Baldwin
• 1884 - Texas Guinan
• 1962 - Marie Trintignant
• 1922 - Telly Savalas

Deaths

• 1932 - Lytton Strachey
• 2008 - Evan G. Galbraith
• 1870 - Alexander Herzen
• 1924 - Vladimir Lenin
• 1997 - Colonel Tom Parker