https://www.facebook.com/imaginealanwhite
Alan White, our beloved husband, dad, and grandpa, passed away at the age of 72 at his Seattle-area home on May 26, 2022, after a brief illness.
https://www.facebook.com/imaginealanwhite
Alan White, our beloved husband, dad, and grandpa, passed away at the age of 72 at his Seattle-area home on May 26, 2022, after a brief illness.
So incredibly sad. What a legend. Thank you Alan for some damned fine musical memories, and love and best wishes to his family.
I review and blog at www.lazland.org
Alan White, our beloved husband, dad, and grandpa, passed away at the age of 72 at his Seattle-area home on May 26, 2022, after a brief illness.
Throughout his life and six-decade career, Alan was many things to many people: a certified rock star to fans around the world; band mate to a select few, and gentleman and friend to all who met him.
Alan was born in Pelton, County Durham, England on June 14, 1949. He began piano lessons at the age of six, began playing the drums at age twelve, and has been performing publicly since the age of thirteen.
Throughout the 1960s, Alan honed his craft with a variety of bands, including The Downbeats, The Gamblers, Billy Fury, Alan Price Big Band, Bell and Arc, Terry Reid, Happy Magazine (later called Griffin), and Balls with Trevor Burton (The Move) and Denny Laine (Wings).
In 1968, Alan joined Ginger Baker’s Airforce, a new group that was put together by the former drummer of Cream and other noted musicians from England’s music scene including Steve Winwood, formerly of Traffic.
In 1969, Alan received what he thought at the time to be a prank phone call, but it was John Lennon calling to ask Alan to join the Plastic Ono Band. The next day Alan found himself learning songs in the back of an airliner headed to Toronto with Lennon, Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, and Klaus Voormann. The ensuing album, Live Peace in Toronto, sold millions of copies, peaking at number 10 on the charts.
Alan’s association with Lennon continued, recording singles like ‘Instant Karma’ and the subsequent landmark album, Imagine, with Alan providing drums for the title song, ‘Jealous Guy’, and ‘How Do You Sleep at Night’. Alan’s work with Lennon led to an introduction to George Harrison, who asked Alan to perform on the album All Things Must Pass, including the single, ‘My Sweet Lord’, released in 1970. Alan subsequently worked with many artists for the Apple label, including Billy Preston, Rosetta Hightower, and Doris Troy.
Alan joined YES on July 27, 1972, and with only three days to learn the music, YES opened their US tour before 15,000 fans in Dallas, Texas on July 30, 1972. Alan has been with YES ever since, and with the passing of founding member, Chris Squire, in June 2015, Alan is the longest continuously serving band member.
Alan is preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and May White (née Thrower), his sister-in-law, Mindi Hall, and many loyal furry companions. He is survived by his wife of forty years (May 15, 1982) Rogena “Gigi” (née Walberg), his children, Jesse (Emily), their two children JJ and Ellie, and Cassi (Kela), and sister-in-law Andrea Holmqvist (Robert).
Gigi, Jesse, and Cassi
Seattle, WA
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
R.I.P.
I will spin Tales in its entirety today and remember the music I witnessed him anchor so well live in concert. Another sad loss...
And what a dreadful shame that right at the end of his life those thieving bastards broke in and stole his beloved belongings.
Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.
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I think I might pull out the Yes 1975 QPR video. Alan looked and sounded amazing.
I had a lovely time with Gigi & Alan's mom back in 200 & Alan was always a wonderful gentleman. I obviously don't need to tout his great drumming on this forum. God rest his soul.
Sleeping at home is killing the hotel business!
RIP Alan. Very sad to hear this news. Gone way too soon. My condolences to his family as well as the Yes family.
Last edited by onward; 05-26-2022 at 01:10 PM.
So sad. What an amazing life he led!
What wonderful music he left us.
Rest easy, Mr. White.
Very sad. Too young.
'I would advise stilts for the quagmires"
Yes, really sad news. What a stellar career inside and out of Yes.
What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)
Oh no. Another hero gone. So thankful I got to see him perform many times. So incredibly sorry to hear this. Prayers and condolences to his loved ones.
"Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter" - Yoda
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www.greyfeather.net
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Very sad news! R.I.P. Alan...
My Progressive Workshop at http://soundcloud.com/hfxx
RIP, Mr. White. Thanks for the great music.
<sig out of order>
alan white. stalwart until the end. you rule. RiP.
Really sad to just see this in my Facebook feed, I knew he looked frail but didn’t know he was so unwell, it seems quite a sudden decline. We have the music and in Alan’s career there are so many high points. I was lucky enough to see him with Yes on scores of occasions, and to say hello and thank you on a few too. He seemed a lovely guy and will be missed. RIP and condolences to his family and friends.
Rest in peace
I can’t recall a single interview or moment where I thought that Alan White came across as a jerk which is uncommon for a rocker with such a long career. He always seemed like a very sensible, kind and levelheaded team player and, of course, he was a great musician who could make himself at home in a wide spectrum of songs and settings, both simple and complex.
"It was a cruel song, but fair."-Roger Waters
Oh my God......my sympathies to Alan's family and friends.
A legend.
My sympathies as well. This hit me hard today. I saw his recent interview and how fragile he was. He always seemed to me to be a true gentleman and a wonderful musician. He will be greatly missed.Originally Posted by Dan Marsh
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jamesmanzi
<heavy sigh> ...still not used to this. To add that indignity of being the victim of a crime to everything else he must have been facing...
Oh bugger. Such a shame, the third Yes man to go and just before the UK tour too. Thanks for the music Alan, will play some Yes in your memory this evening.
How awful...
Such a talented musician, and always seemed like a good guy on top of that. He will be missed.
"what's better, peanut butter or g-sharp minor?"
- Sturgeon's Lawyer, 2021
RIP to a legend.
Very sorry to hear this. Thanks for all the wonderful music. Rest in peace, Alan.
We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
It won't be visible through the air
And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973
Very sad to read this. It was apparent that something was wrong on that video posted/discussed on another thread (relating to the theft of his possessions) but I'm still somewhat taken aback.
He had a strong resume even before his long run in Yes. Playing with John Lennon? It doesn't get better than that, really. And indeed, he seems to have been well-liked across the board.
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