Rick Wakeman CBE became the new Patron of the Ipswich Hospital Band in the summer of 2021.
Rick is a famous Keyboard player and is best known for being in the progressive rock band Yes across 5 tenures between 1971 and 2004 and for his solo albums released in the 1970s.
He had originally planned to be a concert pianist but quit his studies to become a full time session musician. His early sessions included playing on Space Oddity for David Bowie, and also songs by T Rex, Cat Stevens and Elton John. He joined Yes in 1971, playing on some of their most successful albums, and has also released over 90 solo albums, including The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
He has written 3 books, an autobiography and 2 memoirs and in 2017 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
