Alan White RIP

Trubute to the drummer of Yes

Slowly, we’re losing them. Just a few days ago we said goodbye to Vangelis. Now it’s the turn of Alan White, drummer of progressive rock band, Yes, for the the past fifty years, who died yesterday, 26th May 2022, at the age of 72. He was the creative powerhouse within the band.

And was an acclaimed drummer already, before joining Yes in 1972. He had worked with John Lennon on the hugely successful album, Imagine, as well as with the Plastic Ono Band. He also worked with other notables such as George Harrison, Ginger Baker, Joe Cocker and Steve Winwood.

When he received the call from Yes, the band were riding high from the success of their definitive album, Close to the Edge. Yet all was not right. Preparing for a world tour to promote the album, their virtuoso drummer, Bill Bruford, had promptly defected to the chilly climes of their rivals, King Crimson. Alan White was welcomed on board to the Yes camp and given three days to learn the band’s entire repertoire. For a band known for their complex arrangements and challenging time signatures, this was a Herculean task. But, nevertheless, White rose to the challenge and proceeded to join them on their Close to the Edge Tour, starting in Dallas, Texas. The results can be heard on the magnificent, triple, live album, Yessongs, that shows a band on fire at the peak of…