With the passing last week of legendary Progressive Rock Drummer Alan White of YES, his bandmates have offered loving tributes to him, and an update to fans. Both Steve Howe and Geofgf Downes have paid tribute to White, and vow to dedicate the upcoming 50th Anniversary Celebration tour, kicking off in a few weeks for their iconic Close To The Edge album to him. Close To The Edge was also White’s first album with the band as well and he was their longest serving drummer. Alan’s good friend, drummer Jay Schellen, will join Yes for the forthcoming tour, alongside Steve Howe (guitars), Geoff Downes (keyboards), Jon Davison (vocals) and Billy Sherwood (bass guitar and backing vocals).
Steve Howe commented: It is with great sadness that I join with the other members of Yes to acknowledge the passing of our dearest friend and drummer, Alan White.
He gave so many of his best years to the band and was a true believer and determined professional til the very end.
Being a kind and loving human being just came naturally to him, with his mellow, non-confrontational personality and abundant generosity, which made him so popular with his friends and everyone he met.
Geoff Downes added: It is with the utmost sadness I have received the news of the passing of my dearest friend and bandmate Alan White. He was truly one of the greatest men I have ever met. Honest, loyal, passionate, caring, kind, generous, considerate, charitable, funny, so many superlatives, too many to mention simply, an all-round top guy and one of the best. And despite living for many years in his adopted hometown of Seattle, he never lost that Geordie wit, irony and charm.
As a musician he was unique in every way, and his powerhouse technique influenced whole generations of drummers and percussionists an absolute legend in the true sense of the word. He was a joy to share the same stage with, often glancing over at the keyboard riser with a wink and a smile, but still laying down that solid, yet intricate groove as only he could. This was Alan a genius who never took himself too seriously.
We had some great laughs together, became very close, and always looked after each other to the point where they started referring to us as “The Odd Couple!”
The Close to the Edge show will comprise full production and a high-definition video wall featuring the work of Roger Dean who will also be joining the tour with an exhibition of YES related art.
Following the release of The Yes Album and Fragile, in 1971, YES released what is widely considered one of the most defining albums, not only for YES but for the whole progressive movement. Close to the Edge became an inspiration for their contemporaries and for successive generations of musicians.
YES 2022 UK Tour Dates Are:
15th June Wednesday Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
17th June Friday Manchester Bridgewater Hall
18th June Saturday Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
20th June Monday Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
21st June Tuesday London Royal Albert Hall
22nd June Thursday York Barbican
24th June Friday Birmingham Symphony Hall
26th June Sunday Newcastle O2 City Hall
28th June Tuesday Dublin Vicar Street, Eire
29th June Wednesday Cork Opera House, Eire
For full details and to book tickets for all shows go to venue website or http://yesworld.com/live where you can also book Meet and Greets with the band.
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