The Gonzo Daily: Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman: 'Books and places that inspired my art'

Monday, 16 February 2015

Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman: 'Books and places that inspired my art'

Rick Wakeman, musician, interview, Martin Townsend

GETTY

Rick Wakeman opens up about the books and places that formed his art

I’ve always loved reading.

I learned to read before I started school. There were many contributing facts in this which included such things as not having a television until 1956, the radio took about three hours to warm up and the Light Programme and Home Service were never of that much interest to a young kid except for the comedy hour on a Sunday with such fabulous programmes as Round The Horne, Beyond Our Ken, The Clitheroe Kid and The Navy Lark.

There were no computers, computer games or mobile phones, in fact the only outside entertainment was on a Saturday morning when there were Saturday morning pictures at the cost of sixpence, (two and a half pennies in old money to those born before decimalisation).

So for me, my spare time was spent in that of playing football, racing my soap box go-cart, piano practise and reading. (By the time I became a teenager you can add “noticing girls” to this list).

Read on...

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO