Rick Wakeman

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Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist, singer, engineer, television, and radio host.

He is best known for his time with the progressive rock band Yes from 1971 to 2004, as well as his solo albums from the 1970s.

He is a current member of Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman. Wakeman, who was born and raised in West London, aspired to be a concert pianist but decided against attending the Royal College of Music in 1969 to become a full-time session musician.

Among others' topics were "Space Oddity," and songs from Junior's Eyes, T. Rex, Elton John, and Cat Stevens.

Wakeman began playing on some of the most popular songs in two stints before 1980.

Wakeman began his solo career in 1973; his first three albums, The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1973), Journey to the Heart of the Earth (1974), and The Myths and Legends of King Arthur (1975), were two concept albums.

In 1974, he formed The English Rock Ensemble, which he continues to perform, and directed his first film, Lisztomania (1975). Wakeman pursued solo projects in the 1980s, with his most notable album being 1984, which was followed by his minor pop hit single, "Glory Boys," from Silent Nights (1985).

He appeared on television show Gastank and recorded his first of many New-age, ambient, and Christian music albums with Country Airs (1986) and The Gospels (1987), respectively.

He was a member of Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe from 1988 to 1992, resulting in his third Yes stint until 1992.

He returned twice more between 1995 and 2004, including his most notable of the decade, Return to the Center of the Earth (1999).

Wakeman continues to record albums and perform concerts around the world; his most recent album is Christmas Portraits (2019). Wakeman's discography includes more than 90 solo albums that span many musical genres.

He has appeared on television and radio shows; in recent years, he has been known for his appearances on HBO's Humpy Old Men, Watchdog, and his radio show on Planet Rock, which aired from 2005 to 2010.

Wakeman has written three books; an autobiography; and two memoirs.

As a member of Yes, Wakeman was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

Early life

Wakeman was born in Perivale, Middlesex, on May 18th, 1949. The only child of Cyril Frank Wakeman and Mildred Wakeman (née Eastman), the three children lived in Wood End Gardens in nearby Northolt. Cyril was a pianist in Ted Heath's big band when he was in the army and worked at a building company, beginning as an office boy at 14 and becoming one of the company's directors. Mildred worked at a removals company. In 1959, a wakeman attended Drayton Manor Grammar School in Hanwell. The family spent their summer holidays in Exmouth.

When Wakeman turned seven, he paid for weekly piano lessons with Dorothy Symes, which lasted for eleven years. She recalled that Wakeman "passed everything with a smile" and was a "enjoyable pupil to teach, full of laughter, and with a positive sense of humour" but emphasized her lack of discipline when it came to practising. Symes entered Wakeman in his first music competition in 1960, and he went on to win numerous awards, certificates, and cups in competitions around London. Wakeman took up the clarinet at age twelve and became a Sunday school tutor and studied the organ, then baptized at eighteen.

Wakeman referred to his classes as "a mystery." I worked hard in the first year but then eased down. Wakeman formed his first band, Brother Wakeman and the Clergymen, wearing a school shirt in 1961 during his time at Drayton Manor School. Wakeman joined the Atlantic Blues, a local blues band that earned a year of residency at a mental health rehabilitation center in Neasden in 1963. Wakeman completed his O Levels in English, math, art, and music and then went on to study music, art, and British constitution at A-level two years ago. He joined the Concorde Quartet in 1966, then called the Concorde Quartet, and appeared at local concerts with his cousin Alan Wakeman on saxophone and clarinet. Wakeman converted the money earned from his gigs to buy a Pianet, his first electronic gadget.

He also formed the Green Dolphin Trio, a year of residency at a social club in Alperton, and Curdled Milk, a parody of "Strange Brew" by Cream, was invited to attend the annual school dance that year. Wakeman lost control of his vehicle and sped across the headmaster's rose garden at the front of the school, forfeiting their performance fee to pay for the harm. Wakeman began his career with the Ronnie Smith Band, a dance group based in Watford's Top Rank ballroom. He was fired in the following year after not taking dance seriously enough, but he was revived and appeared in Reading. Ashley Holt, a Wakeman's former musician who appeared on several of Wakeman's new albums and tours, was there.

Wakeman won a place at the Royal College of Music in London in 1968, studying the piano, clarinet, orchestration, and modern music with the intention of becoming a concert pianist. To receive his A-level in the subject, he needed to take eight music exams, which required him, "to do two years' work in ten months" as his mother remembered. Wakeman put in the effort after a ten-shilling bet with his music teacher, who hoped he would not succeed, and refusing his father's invitation to work with him. Wakeman started on a performing course before undergoing a change to the teachers' program, but quickly discovered that "everyone else there was at least as good as me," the instructor discovered, and a majority of them were much better." He took a more relaxed approach to his studies, spending a considerable amount of his time in pubs and with the staff at Ealing's Musical Bargain Centre.

drummer Chas Cronk arrived in the shop one morning in need of an organist and brass arranger for members of the Ike & Tina Turner band, and it was his first time in a recording studio. During the interview, Wakeman met producers Tony Visconti, Gus Dudgeon, and Denny Cordell Cordell, who was captivated by his appearance and offered him additional session work for musicians at Regal Zonophone Records, which Wakeman accepted and began skipping classes in favour of sessions.

Personal life

Wakeman has been married four times and has six children. He married Rosaline Woolford on March 28, 1970, and he had two sons, Oliver (b. ). Adam (b.) and Mary (B.) 26 February 1972) and Adam (b. The 11th of March 1974: the beginning of the authorisation of the war. In 1977, the couple divorced. In January 1980, Wakeman married Danielle Corminboeuf, a recording studio secretary from Switzerland, and lived with her in Montreux. Benjamin (b. ), their one son, was born in Benjamin (b. ). They divorced in late 1980, 1978, 1978; 1978-1981. Jemma Kiera (b. 1981) was born in Wakeman's hometown and had a daughter, Jemma Kiera. 1983-1983, 1983), before they married in November 1984 and had a son, Oscar (b). 1986 (includes the United States) The couple wed in 2000 and divorced in 2004.

Wakeman confessed to an extramarital affair with American-born designer Denise Gandrup, who first met Wakeman in 1972 and made several of his capes. Amanda (B.) and her father, Mark, reconnected in 1985 and had one daughter, Amanda (b). 1986 (the year that resurfaced). Wakeman feared it best to shield his family and his family, but he continued to financially assist his daughter.

In December 2011, Wakeman married journalist Rachel Kaufman. They now live in Diss, Norfolk.

Wakeman has suffered with a variety of health problems in his life. He had three heart attacks in his twenties as a result of his unhealthy diet of cigarettes and heavy drinking. The first two children were infants and he was told that they may not have been noticed. The third took place at Crystal Palace Park in July 1974, just days after a Journey to the Center of the Earth's appearance. In 1979, a Wakeman began to smoke. Wakeman's drinking in 1985 led to cirrhosis of the liver and alcoholic hepatitis, and he has been teetotal since. Wakeman suffered from double pneumonia and pleurisy in 1999 and was put in an induced coma. His doctors gave him 24 hours to live at one point during his hospital stay. Wakeman revealed he had diabetes in 2016.

Wakeman met Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in the 1970s and purchased Tropical Saint, a racehorse that belonged to her. He bought Balinloning, a tiny horse that he had been in care for a year and entered in races after it died. He became a director of Brentford, F.C., in 1979, a post he held for a year. He became chairman of Camberley Town F.C. in 1983. He resigned in 1987 due to his cramming work schedule, but he continued to serve as an honorary vice president. He became a Patron of Tech Music Schools in 2009.

Wakeman purchased a house in Tenerife in the 1990s by Playa de la Vistas.

He had a revival of his Christian faith, which began around the time of his 1984 marriage to Carter.

Wakeman, a card-carrying Conservative, was "unique in [Yes] as a supporter of the British Conservative Party,'s "unique in [Yes] as a card-carrying Conservative."

Wakeman's Place, a three-hour radio show on Planet Rock, premiered in September 2005, broadcasting Saturday mornings. In December 2010, the show came to a close. Wakeman unveiled Rick's Plaice, a subscription-based video series based on his former Planet Rock video series, in late 2020. The series lasted for six episodes.

Wakeman became a Freemason in 2007, and he was a member of Chelsea Lodge No. 1 in 2007. The entertainer in 3098 is the entertainer. His father was a member of the Brent Valley Lodge No. 7. Wakeman and his mother's continued support at the Lodge following his death was a catalyst for Wakeman to learn more about Freemasonry. 3940. In 2019, Wakeman was elected as an honorary member of his late father's Lodge. Wakeman joined the Knights Templar fraternity in 2011 and is also a member of the Valiant Lodge. He was introduced as the 110th Worshipful Master of the Chelsea Lodge in 2014, making him the 125th King Rat of the showbusiness fraternity and charity group, the Grand Order of Water Rats. Wakeman was the first to hold both positions. In the ensuing year, he hosted the Grumpy Old Rockstar's Chelsea Lodge Ladies Festival. In the 2017 documentary film Inside the Freemasons, Wakeman appears in his Masonic apron.

In a 2010 interview, he was critical of Wikipedia, saying that it has too many inaccurate information and mistakes, and that he would like to see it "closed down" as a result.

He appeared on BBC Radio 4's programme Desert Island Discs in June 2017. Principles of Orchestration by Giuseppe Verdi was his favorite work, and he recommended it in his book.

In the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to music and broadcasting, Wakeman was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Roger De Courcey, the entertainer who is best known for his puppet Nookie Bear, is Wakeman's agent for television and media work.

Source

Career

Wakeman performed keyboards and arranging music for various artists between fifteen and eighteen times a week. One Take Wakeman was born as a result of his ability to produce what was needed in a short period of time. Dudgeon needed a player during his first sessions on Battersea Power Station by Junior's Eyes, and Mellotron on "Space Oddity" by David Bowie in June 1969 was worth £9 as he didn't know anything about the device. Wakeman continued to appear on several tracks on Bowie's second album, David Bowie, as well as organ and piano on American singer Tucker Zimmerman's only single, "Red Wind." Wakeman left the Ronnie Smith group and spent several months in Spinning Wheel, a pub in Ilford, in a pub for seven nights a week. He got the job from an advertisement in Melody Maker. Visconti had Wakeman play a single bass note on the piano at the end of Marsha Hunt's "Walk on Guilded Splinters" so he could have paid the session fee. Wakeman appeared on Seasons by Magna Carta in 1970, as well as Brotherhood of Man, Paper Bubble, Shawn Phillips, and White Plains. Despite being paid well, he was soon disillusioned with session work, despite being aware that he was not involved in the songwriting.

During his time with the folk rock band The Strawbs, Wakeman's fame increased. He had performed on piano on Dragonfly (1970), the first album to feature Wakeman's name on the album, and he joined the band as a full member in March 1970. With various bands backing the circus acts, the group appeared on a number of dates in Paris for a rock and roll circus. During one performance, Wakeman pushed Salvador Dal off the stage during a special guest appearance during his piano solo. "I didn't know who he was," he wrote. "Silly old sod, waving his stick," I thought. Wakeman's first big show with The Strawbs came on Saturday, July 1970, when the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London was displayed and released as Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios. Wakeman's solo piano piece "Temperament of Mind" received a standing ovation. The piece emerged from improvisations during a performance, causing Wakeman to fill time by playing the piano. Wakeman was named "pop find of 1970" by the concert and album and was on the front page of Melody Maker for the first time, where he was dubbed "tomorrow's superstar." The Booze Droop, a Wakeman-founded a folk music night at the White Hart in Acton in July 1970. Bowie decided to play an acoustic set for £5 to help raise funds, but it didn't have an effect. Around 12 people attended the gig.

Wakeman stayed fit in session work to pay for his new home in West Harrow while in The Strawbs. He bought a Minimoog synthesizer at a half price from actor Jack Wild, who felt that it was ineffective because it only played one note at a time. On Cat Stevens' "Morning Has Broken" he performed on the piano, Teaser and the Firecat, Wakeman appeared on "Morning Has Broken" for his 1971 album, "Morning Has Broken." He was barred from the credits and was not compensated for it for many years; Stevens apologized and compensated Wakeman for the mistake. "Get It On" by T. Rex, three tracks on Madman Across the Water by Elton John, and "Changes" by Wakeman were among the sessions that included Wakeman during this time.

You Pretty Things", and "Life on Mars?"

Hunky Dory, Bowie's album. Wakeman welcomed Wakeman to his home and laid out the tracks for him to learn; Wakeman later described them as "the best collection of songs I've ever heard in one sitting in my entire life." He also produced music for Zee and Co., a 1972 film. Piano Vibrations by Polydor Records was an album compiled of pop songs performed by Wakeman on the piano in late 1971. Wakeman did not receive any royalties from it; he was paid £36 for the four sessions it took to make.

The Witchwood Festival highlighted the growing differences between Wakeman and The Strawbs; he prioritized the most paid studio sessions over the band's new music and contributed little to the band's new music. Wakeman's financial hardships continued to cover his mortgage and bills in July 1971 after Bowie invited him to join his new backing band, The Spiders from Mars. Yes received a call from bassist Chris Squire of the progressive rock band Yes later that day, who said that Yes needed a keyboardist because Tony Kaye had been asked to leave due to his inability to learn instruments other than the piano and organ. Wakeman accepted Yes on their fourth album, Fragile (1971), and the band's first attempt out, "Heart of the Sunrise" and "Roundabout" were developed together on the basis of "Heart of the Sunrise." Wakeman turned down Bowie's bid and continued his association with The Strawbs, feeling that Yes offered more favourable prospects for his future. Wakeman appeared on the front page of Melody Maker, his second in a year, about his arrival in Yes. His salary soared from £18 to £50 a week. Wakeman signed A&M Records' five-album solo recording deal towards the end of 1971.

Yes, performed Fragile in five weeks, but partially to re-establish touring so they could buy a new set of keyboards for Wakeman. Each member has written a solo track; Wakeman's song, "Cans and Brahms," is an interpretation of Symphony No. 3's third movement. Johannes Brahms' 4th keyboards were used on electronic keyboards. As a result of contractual disputes between Atlantic Records, who had signed Yes, and A&M, which barred him from writing his own words, he called it "dreadful." Despite being told that management would sort the situation, Wakeman claimed he was never praised for his contributions on Fragile, including piano sections on "Heart of the Sunrise" and "South Side of the Sky." He loved the music enough to cause further rifts. Fragile also ranked in the top ten in the United Kingdom and the United States, and the Fragile Tour marked Wakeman's first trip to North America. Wakeman was able to buy a new home in Gerrards Cross and start a car collection, which he rented out through his new company, the Fragile Carriage Company. Wakeman appeared on "It Ain't Simple" on Bowie's album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and Al Stewart's Orange debut in late 1971.

Wakeman ranked second in the Top Keyboardist group in 1972, according to a Melody Maker readers' survey. Yes followed Fragile on Close to the Edge, a groundbreaking progressive rock album that also features Wakeman playing a church organ and harpsichord. "Siberian Khatru" is credited to him on the final track. "One of the finest moments of Yes's career," Wakeman described the album as "one of the finest moments of his life." After a fan donated his own for one of the band members's cape on stage, Wakeman wore it on stage for the first time on the Close to the Edge Tour. He later had his own made; the first was made of sequins and cost US$300. Wakeman appears on the concert film Yessongs, which was shot in 1972 at the Rainbow Theatre, which also features his solo appearance in the film. Wakeman appeared at the venue for the month as a guest artist at Tommy's orchestral performances.

Wakeman's debut solo album, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, was released in January 1973. It was recorded in 1972, during Yes's absence from touring and recording, and it includes members of the band, the Strawbs, and other guest musicians. The album is pivotal in the development of Henry VIII's musical interpretations of the six wives. Wakeman performed excerpts from The Old Grey Whistle Test on BBC television show The Old Grey Whistle Test. The majority of the television audience that night wanted to watch Blue Movie, Andy Warhol's controversial film, but it was temporarily barred from being broadcast. "It appears most of them, rather than watching repeats, changed to Whistle Test and saw my preview of Henry, and then it seemed as if the whole world had discovered my music — it was a major leap." The album debuted at No. 1. 7 in the United Kingdom and No. 2 in the United Kingdom and No. 77 in the United States. The United States premiered the 30th century in the United States, and Time named the record one of the year's best albums. Wakeman came out first in the top keyboardist category at the Melody Maker poll in September 1973.

Yes's double concept album Tales from Topographic Oceans was released in November 1973, featuring four long pieces based on Hindu scriptures' interpretation of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda's autobiography. Wakeman had reservations about the esoteric idea, and felt a lot of its songs were too experimental, requiring further rehearsal. He distanced himself from the company, spent time in the bar at Morgan Studios, and appeared on "Sabbra Caddabra" on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath by Black Sabbath in the adjacent studio. Yes, we toured the album for six months, listening to the album in its entirety, which Wakeman also disapproved with. He openly condemned the album to the public, and his growing illusion culminated in a case in which he ate a curry on stage during a show in Manchester. Wakeman said that his complete dislike of the album is "not entirely correct" and that he acknowledges some "very, very good musical moments," but that "we had too much for a single album but not enough for a double, so we padded it out and the padding is disgusting."

Wakeman, a topographic Oceans tour, created his latest 40-minute work Journey to the Center of the Earth, based on Jules Verne's same-named science-fiction book Journey to the Centre of the Earth. He came up with the idea in 1971, but it wasn't until The Six Wives of Henry VIII was complete that the project was complete. Wakeman decided against recording the piece in concert due to the high cost of a studio. He sold some of his cars and "mortgage[d himself] up to the hilt" to raise funds for the project, all of which cost about £40,000. On January 18, 1974, two concerts were held at the Royal Festival Hall in London, with the London Symphony Orchestra, actor David Hemmings, as narrator, and a five-piece band formed of musicians with Wakeman's experience in a west London pub: vocalists Ashley Holt and Gary Pickford-Hopkins, drummer Barney James, bassist Roger Newell, and guitarist Mike Egan. A&M wanted to use more well-known musicians, but Wakeman wanted the album to be known for its music rather than the performers. After reducing the album A&M's refusal to sell it, Wakeman's US division got a cassette, which was sent to co-founder Jerry Moss, who loved it and ordered it to be released around the world.

Wakeman retreated to his Devonshire home after touring the topographic Oceans. He heard early hopes for Yes's next album, felt he could no longer contribute to the band's style of music, and announced his departure from the band on his twenty-fifth birthday. A&M informed him that Journey had landed at No. 1 in the UK charts later that day. The company's first appearance on the label was a first for the brand. Journey also ranked No. 1 in the world. Wakeman was named with a Grammy and Ivor Novello Award nomination in the United States, and he continued to be the best in the country. According to the album, it has sold 14 million copies around the world. Wakeman headlined the Crystal Palace Garden Party concert on July 27, 1974, performing selections from Six Wives and Journey in its entirety. His heavy nicotine and alcohol intake, a lack of sleep five days before the show, and a wrist injury from a fall all played a part, and he needed morphine injections to get through the show. He suffered a minor heart attack shortly after the show.

Wakeman began writing new music for his forthcoming album, The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, during his stay at Wexham Park Hospital. Despite being advised to minimize his work and improve his unhealthy habits, Wakeman planned to record and tour and enjoyed alcohol. He performed Journey to the Center of the Earth Plus selections from Six Wives, the Choir of America, and his rock band The English Rock Ensemble premiered in September and October 1974. Wakeman was expected to perform a heart monitor test prior to each performance under doctors' orders. The tour continued to Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, concluding in March 1975.

King Arthur's recording was completed in January 1975, and it includes the New World Orchestra, English Chamber Choir, and the Nottingham Festival Vocal Group. It's a concept album based on King Arthur's legends and legends. The album debuted in March 1975 and has since dropped to No. 58. Both in the United Kingdom and No. 2 in the United States. In the United States, 21 people were among the top earners of gold medals in Brazil, Japan, and Australia. Wakeman appeared with an orchestra, chorus, and his rock band at Wembley Arena, bringing the album to a total of 27,000 people. Wakeman decided to present the performance as an ice rink for a different attraction, with fourteen ice skaters and the musicians' stage stage placed in the round and decorated as a castle. The shows, although well-received and a contributing factor to the album's commercial success, were costly to produce. The concerts were ranked 79th on VH1's 100 Greatest Shocking Moments in Rock and Roll in 2009. According to a survey, the album had sold 12 million copies around the world in 2008.

Wakeman toured King Arthur with a new version of the English Rock Ensemble in three months from October 1975 to North and South America. In comparison to his previous tours, the stage performance was scaled back, with only his rock band featuring a two-piece wind section. The line-up was Wakeman's first with new drummer Tony Fernandez, who would appear on many of his forthcoming albums and tours. Wakeman composed the soundtrack for Lisztomania, a documentary film about composer Franz Liszt written and directed by Ken Russell in 1975. Thor, the god of thunder, appears in the film. A few years later, he remembered the album in a more negative light, saying, "there was hardly anything of mine on it at the end" and criticized its mixing and manufacturing. No Earthly Connection (1976) was recorded in France and stars Wakeman and his English Rock Ensemble. It was supposed to be about mythological gods, but the subject matter of lyrical change emerged after he was inspired by a flying object one night that prompted him to research man and mysterious phenomena, such as the Bermuda Triangle, Stonehenge, and the pyramids. Wakeman conceived the album without having played any of its songs out of order, and summarised it in the liner notes: "A futuristic, autobiographical glimpse at music, the role it plays in our pre-earth, human, and after life." The album debuted in April 1976 and reached No. 1 on the charts. 9 in the United Kingdom and No. 10 in the United States. In the United States, there are 67 people. Wakeman toured the country for seven weeks, with a scaled down stage design in comparison to his previous tours.

Wakeman was in financial trouble by the summer of 1976 after touring exceeded its budget and lost money, and he was forced to come up with £350,000 "in a matter of weeks." He sold his Rolls-Royces, closed his Fragile car repair business, and disbanded the English Rock Ensemble, receiving even more relief when A&M promised to pay royalties in advance. Brian Lane, Wakeman's boss, met with Bill Bruford and John Wetton for six weeks with the intention to form a new band, but the group broke if it was supposed to break. Wakeman took up recording the soundtrack to White Rock, a documentary film about the 1976 Winter Olympics directed by Tony Maylam. In 1977, the film appeared as a double bill with Genesis: In Concert. Wakeman's "After the Ball" was a song he forgot to write; rather than confessing to the designers, he decided to play it as a completely different take.

Wakeman's fortunes changed when he was invited to join Yes in Montreux, Switzerland, as they were composing new songs for Going for the One (1977), the wakeman's. Patrick Moraz, the group's keyboardist, had to leave early in the first stages due in part to the organization's "enormous psychological pressures." Wakeman, a tax exile, after hearing the band's latest music of more accessible and concise songs, agreed to perform on the album as a session singer and joined the band in Montreux, where he spent four years as a tax prisoner. Wakeman reunited the band full time, but Melody Maker's latest iteration had the headline "Yes" hours after he had promised. Lane had already informed the public that he had returned without consulting him, which was surprising. Wakeman referred to Going for the One as "the album Yes should have made rather than Topographic Oceans" and that the 15-minute track "Awaken" was one of the group's best tracks. Wakeman appeared on Tormato (1978), a tape replay keyboard that used 8-track tape cartridges and contributed to its creation. At a showing of the art used for the album's covers, he is reported to have given the album his name by throwing a tomato at a showing.

In the late 1970s, Wakeman's final A&M albums were released. Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record (1977) is an instrumental rock album (apart from Bill Oddie's comedic vocals) that is closely related to The Six Wives of Henry VIII but it is primarily based on criminal law, and it features Yes bandmates Chris Squire on bass and Alan White on drums, as well as Frank Ricotti on percussion. The album debuted at No. 1 on the charts. No. 25 people in the United Kingdom and No. 10 in the United States; No. 28 in the United Kingdom and No. 301 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, 128 people have died. Rhapsodies (1979) was recorded in Montreux and released as a double album, with Wakeman playing shorter tracks of various musical styles. As guest performers, it features Bruce Lynch, Frank Gibson Jr., and Tony Visconti. It also ranked at No. 2 in the world of No. 1. In the United Kingdom, there are 25. Wakeman and Anderson left the company in early 1980 after touring with Yes in 1979 and losing attempts to record a new album with the band in Paris and London.

Wakeman reformed the English Rock Ensemble for a European tour in 1980, following a four-year absence. Later this year, he was close to starting a band with drummer Carl Palmer, bassist John Wetton, and guitarist Trevor Rabin, but decided against it "on a matter of principle" because the record company was ready to sell them without knowing any of the group's songs. "I practically sealed my financial destiny, and things went downhill fast," he said at the time. His father's death in November 1980 prompted him to leave Switzerland and return to the United Kingdom, resulting in a historic deal with Charisma Records avoiding bankruptcy. Wakeman was homeless in 1980 due to financial hardships and secord divorce, and he resorted to sleeping on benches in Kensington Gardens until a former roadie let him sleep at his house.

Charisma's first album was released in 1984, a concept rock album based on George Orwell's same-titled dystopian book, with a band including Steve Barnacle on bass, Gary Barnacle on saxophone, and Frank Ricotti on drums. Chaka Khan, Jon Anderson, Kenny Lynch, Kenny Lynch, and Tim Rice, the album's lead vocals, also wrote the lyrics. 1984 was launched in June 1981 and ranked No. 24 in the United Kingdom. After lawyers from Orwell's estate blocked the album's construction, it was decided that it would be turned into a musical. Wakeman performed Journey to the Centre of the Earth in Durban, South Africa, in July 1981. This was followed by a world tour until 1981, with a lineup of Holt, Fernandez, Tim Stone on guitar, Steve Barnacle on bass, and Cori Josiah on vocals. Due to increasing internal tensions within the band, the tour became difficult. Wakeman filmed the soundtrack to the slasher horror film The Burning in New York City earlier this year.

Wakeman's next album was Rock 'n' Roll Prophet, a comedic take on the pop band The Buggles, which was released in 1982 under his own name, Moon Records. It was originally named Maybe '80's' 80s, but it wasn't announced in Switzerland until he obtained the rights for it following an appearance at the MIDEM music festival. In 1980, Wakeman on lead vocals appeared on "I'm So Straight I'm a Weirdo," a single from the album "I'm So Straight I'm a Weirdo." In January and February 1983, Wakeman hosted the Channel 4 music show Gastank with Tony Ashton, which aired on January and February 1983. He followed Charisma, Cost of Living, a combination of instrumental and rock tracks on vocals, which failed to make his money and did nothing" to raise his finances. Wakeman was "managerless, penniless, and homeless" by this point. After the birth of their daughter Jemma, he and Carter migrated to Camberley, Surrey, in February 1983. Wakeman stepped up his production by recording the soundtrack to the official 1982 FIFA World Cup documentary film G'olé, which was released at the same time as Cost of Living, which stifled potential sales. He produced the soundtrack for her documentary She, alongside Justin Hayward and Maggie Bell, and his second Russell film, Crimes of Passion, with Bell on vocals, Fernandez on drums, and Strawbs bandmate Chas Cronk on bass. The Wakeman based the music on Symphony No. 1's themes. Anton Dvok's 9 is the best on record. Wakeman composed the score to the ballet Killing Games in 1983, but the project was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances during its development, as well as a potential double album of its music. Wakeman contributed three songs to the soundtrack of B.C. in early 1984. Rock.

Wakeman signed with independent label President Records in 1984, for which he would produce almost 40 albums. The first album, Silent Nights, Wakeman's first solo album in over two years, features Fernandez, Cronk, and Rick Fenn on guitar, and was released in 1985. In the United Kingdom, the single "Glory Boys" became a minor pop hit. Wakeman completed work on his part of the comedy film Playing for Keeps in 1985, which was followed by a tour of the United Kingdom, North America, and Australia to promote Silent Nights. It was his first full-scale tour in four years and his first appearance in the United States in over five years. Live at Hammersmith brought a live album from the UK leg. Wakeman was "seriously in debt" on the tour, and he was forced to remortgage his Camberley home. Wakeman became sick from alcoholism during the tour's Australian leg in September 1985 and has been teetotal since. Wakeman reunited with David Bowie to play the piano on his 1986 album "Absolute Beginners" was also released in 1985. A single of Wakeman's theme tunes for television shows Lytton's Diary and Database was also released.

Wakeman delves into new musical genres in the second half of the 1980s. Country Airs, his first album of new age music, was released in 1986. It was a collection of solo piano tracks inspired by the countryside. On the UK new age chart, it ranked at number one. Wakeman continued his journey into the Far East, as well as soundtrack work for Hero, the 1986 World Cup film, and BBC film The Day After the Fair. Wakeman joined Sky as a guest musician on an Australian tour in 1987 and released The Family Album, a collection of new age songs dedicated to each of his family members and pets. In 1987, Wakeman released The Gospels, a double album based on the four Gospels that features tenor vocalist Ramon Remedios, actor Robert Powell as narrator, and the Eton College Chapel Choir. The music was originally written for a 1985 concert as part of a fund-raising effort for a church before it was extended to a full album. Wakeman appeared with Remedios and his band at the Royal Albert Hall in London and the following year in Caesarea, Israel. He returned to rock with Time Machine, loosely based on H. G. Wells' science fiction book and starring Roy Wood and Tracy Ackerman as guest vocalists. Wakeman had intended to record it with an orchestra and choir and put on a star-studded ice display but it was cancelled due to a lack of funds.

Wakeman and Carter sold their Camberley home and moved to Peel on the Isle of Man in March 1988 in an attempt to raise their finances. After the first letters of his family's correspondence, a coach house on the site of their home was turned into a recording studio by a Wakeman named Bajonor Studios. Wakeman had missed numerous opportunities to shoot films due to the high cost of renting large, professional studios, so he created his own as a compromise. Wakeman worked there from 1990 to 2001. The Aspirant Sunset, released in 1990, was the first album with his long-time recording engineer Stuart Sawney's name on it.

Wakeman formed Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe in late 1988, along with former Yes bandmates Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, and Steve Howe. Anderson formed the band after Anderson became dissatisfied with Yes's commercial direction, and the band decided to make music that reflected the band's 1970s sound. Wakeman's first major US tour in ten years was released in 1989, and the tour marked the beginning of the band's first major US tour in ten years. Tracks were originally released as Union in 1991, turning Yes into an eight-piece unit with Wakeman sharing keyboards with original Yes member Tony Kaye. Wakeman has openly expressed his dissatisfaction with Union, partially due to the fact that session musicians were brought in to re-write and perform parts that he and Howe had already written about. However, he subsequently selected 1991-1992 as his favorite, as Yes, where he developed a close friendship with their 1980s guitarist and singer-songwriter Trevor Rabin. Wakeman declared his resignation from the band and his own in 1993 after being caught in managerial issues with the band's and their own.

Wakeman continued his solo career in parallel with the release of The Phantom of the Opera with colourized re-releases by Chrissie Hammond on vocals, which was out as Phantom Power in 1990. Wakeman performed and released music in support of ASSIST, a California-based Christian group established by journalist Dan Wooding, author of Wakeman's biography. In the Beginning, the two friends' first venture was in 1989, and Wakeman's then-wife Nina had a record of atmospheric music with biblical readings. Wakeman donated the album's entire collection to ASSIST. Wakeman completed the Simply Acoustic Tour, a series of solo piano concerts in the United States in 1994 in aid of ASSIST. On The Piano Album in 1995, recordings from shows in Virginia and the Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California, were released. 8,000 people attended the 82nd show.

Wakeman, a ten-piece group of Fernandez, guitarist and bassist Alan Thomson, and his son Adam Wakeman on additional keyboards began in October 1992. The tour lasted until 1994 and was arranged as Wakeman wanted to tour with a second keyboardist to "free [him] up to do more things" on stage. Wakeman with Wakeman was an album of keyboard compositions composed and performed by the pair during the tour. In 1993, No Expense Spared, the Victorian Age's Romance in 1994, and Vignettes in 1996. Wakeman's financial situation took an unexpected turn in 1993 when he was ordered to pay almost £70,000 to the Inland Revenue for interest charges and unpaid fines relating to tax he had incurred for the previous six years. "With support from Brian Lane's office and Yes's accountants, I lost all publishing income from everything I had ever written in the three seconds it took to sign my name."

Wakeman became involved with Phillip Gandey's family circus entertainment project Cirque Surreal in mid-1995, writing and recording "timeless" scenes to enhance the show's various characters. Wakeman performed it at the Brighton Festival first, but his band later performed it at other venues, including the Cheltenham Festival. Wakeman produced the soundtrack to Bullet to Beijing, a made-for-television film starring Michael Caine and Jason Connery. In Saint Petersburg, he also scored it's sequel, Midnight. Wakeman appeared on Ozzy Osbourne's album Ozzmosis in 1995.

Wakeman decided to return to Yes in the summer of 1995, his fourth time in the company. They were working on new studio equipment in San Luis Obispo, California, from 3 to 6, 1996. He also recorded the Keys to Ascension (1996) and the Keys to Ascension 2 (1997) albums with Yes. Wakeman conducted the North American premiere of The New Gospels for five dates in 1996, when it was reworked and extended to a two-hour oratorio with a 30-piece chorus. ASSIST members received free admission to the concerts. Wakeman left Yes in May 1997 before he could tour with them due to scheduling conflicts and a lack of coordination among the artists' teams. Wakeman became the host of the stand-up comedy television show Live at Jongleurs in June 1997.

Wakeman was given a Gold Badge Award by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors in October 1997 for his contributions to the British music and entertainment industry. He began working on Return to the Earth's Centre of the Earth in 1998, a sequel album to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Journey to the Earth's Centre. The idea first came to Wakeman in 1991 during a trip to Italy, which culminated in discussions with Atlantic Records that year about a re-recording of the original album using new technology and arrangements, but the plan was rejected. Wakeman was revived in 1996 when Wakeman was offered by three major record companies eager to fund and debut a new "epic" album. After a signed deal with EMI Classics was signed, a tale based on three unidentified travelers and their attempt to travel back to the original route was released, with a band, the London Symphony Orchestra, Patrick Stewart, as the narrator, and guest appearances from Trevor Rabin, Ozzy Osbourne, and Bonnie Tyler began in 1998. Wakeman's first album to feature the chart in 12 years when released in 1999. Due to Wakeman's health, recording was temporarily suspended. Wakeman appeared on an episode of This Is Your Life in December 1998.

Following a revival of progressive rock in South Africa, Wakeman accepted an invitation to revive his English Rock Ensemble for a South American tour in September 2000. Fernandez, Damian Wilson on vocals, Adam Wakeman on keyboards, Ant Glynne on guitar, and Lee Pomeroy on bass were among the band's new line-ups. Wakeman was particularly happy with his performance, describing it as his "best in a long time" on the radio. The company was founded in April 2001 and then followed by many European dates. Wakeman began talks with Keith Emerson about a potential music project, but it was shelved later that year. Wakeman appeared in his first pantomime role as Abanazar in a Truro production for the Christmas season in 2001. He made a cameo appearance in Alone, the 2002 thriller thriller thriller film about a hospital patient. Wakeman appeared on the BBC television show Grumpy Old Men in 2003 and went on as a regular until the show's end in 2006. The show raised his national recognition and made him a regular on the after-dinner speech circuit.

Wakeman returned to Yes for the fifth and final time in April 2002, but said it took eight months to obtain the necessary paperwork to make it happen. The band performed on the Full Circle Tour and the 35th Anniversary Tours, which ran from 2002 to 2004. "It was far and away the best the band had ever been," Wakeman said of the band's performance during his return: "There was no staleness, there was a lot of freshness," the band's playing was described. The only new studio work on display at this moment were bonus tracks from The Ultimate Yes: The 35th Anniversary Collection's collection. Following a four-year absence, Yes tour Yes went on to a four-year hiatus, during which Wakeman retired from large-scale tours due to continuing health issues. When the band regrouped in 2008, Wakeman's son Oliver replaced him on keyboards.

Wakeman and his band appeared in Havana, Cuba, in April 2005, with a free show attended by over 10,000 people. They came about after Wakeman was invited to perform there to help a children's cancer charity. Made in Cuba was the first two shows to be broadcast, and the hospital received the proceeds from which were donated to the hospital. Fidel Castro, the Cuban president, greeted Wakeman, thanking him for his humanitarian assistance. Following the tour, Wakeman was chastised emotionally and made him reconsider leaving live performance. On his website, he denied the false allegations that the tour was not intended for political reasons. Castro gave Wakeman some earth surrounding Che Guevara's grave, according to a wakeman. Wakeman toured the United States on a solo piano tour in June 2006. In Quebec, Canada, his band, orchestra, and choir performed Return to the Centre of the Earth. The show starred Jon Anderson as a guest performer, which culminated in the pair touring the UK as Anderson/Wakeman. In 2007, Wakeman introduced the Grumpy Old Picture Show to the United Kingdom. The show combined live performances and tales inspired by Grumpy Old Men's appearances, as well as video accompaniments, including old photographs and pre-recorded sketches. Wakeman completed a further 24 dates in the following year, after the initial run of 14 dates was so popular.

Wakeman performed his debut album The Six Wives of Henry VIII for the first time at Hampton Court Palace in May 2009 as part of Henry VIII's 500th anniversary of his ascension to the throne. He had intended to perform there in 1973 but was refused until he was invited 36 years later. The Six Wives of Henry VIII Live at Hampton Court Palace was available on CD and DVD. At the annual Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards in 2010, Wakeman was named with the Spirit of Prog Award.

Wakeman produced a new and expanded version of Journey to the Center of the Earth in 2012, following the discovery of the original conductor's score three years ago, which was considered lost. Wakeman re-recorded the album with the previously cut sections, which shortened the work to 54 minutes, as the original album was reduced to fit a single LP. It includes his English Rock Ensemble, the Orion Orchestra, and the English Chamber Choir conducted by Guy Protheroe, as well as actor Peter Egan's narration. Wakeman performed the expanded album on a 14-date UK tour to celebrate the original's fortieth anniversary. Following a request from a South American concert promoter for which Wakeman wrote new music based on additional Arthurian legends, the re-recording of Journey became the catalyst for a new and enhanced version of King Arthur. The re-recorded version runs for 88 minutes and stars actor Ian Lavender as the narrator. Wakeman's first album, which was released on June 19, 2016, on the same day that Wakeman performed it live at London's O2 Arena for the Stone Free Festival.

Wakeman performed The Theory of Everything by Ayreon in 2013.

Wakeman, Anderson, and Trevor Rabin announced the formation of Anderson, Rabin, and Wakeman. (ARW) The three artists appeared on Yes Music from 2016 to 2018, with Yes songs appearing throughout the band's history. Wakeman also performed a live piano version of "Life on Mars" in January 2016. Following David Bowie's death, he paid tribute on BBC Radio 2 as a tribute. Wakeman decided to release a single of the track with a piano version of "Space Oddity" and "Always Together" in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Wakeman's performance inspired him to release a solo piano album of tracks that he had performed on in his career, as well as classical interpretations. Piano Portraits first appeared in January 2017 and peaked at No. 89. Wakeman's highest-charting album since 1975 features seven people in the United Kingdom, according to Wakeman's highest-charting album since 1975. The British Phonographic Institute has also accredited it with gold status. Wakeman released Piano Odyssey, a follow-up to the No. 1 album on Amazon, which also reached No. 82. In the United Kingdom, there are seven of the 7 children.

Wakeman's first solo tour of the United States in 13 years began in September and October 2019, performing piano shows. The unveiling of Christmas Portraits, a Christmas-themed piano album, was followed by another. Wakeman's return to his progressive rock roots with The Red Planet, an instrumental album influenced by Mars and starring his English Rock Ensemble in 2020. A Gallery of the Imagination's next album, which will include tracks of various genres, including songs and instrumentals, will be released in 2022. Wakeman intends to have listeners produce artwork inspired by the music that will be on display in a gallery, allowing visitors to enjoy the music as they wander around the exhibit.

Wakeman will appear at two shows at the London Palladium in February 2023, including performances of The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Journey to the Center of the Earth, King Arthur, and a selection of Yes songs.

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