Bill Bruford's statement:
Alan was a proper Geordie – steady, powerful, no nonsense, probably didn’t really like the frilly bits. He took over the reins in Yes at short notice after I moved on, and by all accounts, didn’t make a fuss when he had to learn the band’s repertoire in about three days.
As different men from different backgrounds with quite different styles, we had come to drumming from pretty much opposite ends of the spectrum. I quite liked the frilly bits. Geordies don’t like talking about anything very much, so our mutual respect went unspoken. I know he loved the heck out of ‘Close to the Edge’ as, indeed, did I.
Aside from the sadness, there is something extraordinarily poetic that his life should have come to an end exactly 50 years after he picked up the sticks and gave his all to the band he came to love. He’ll be forever remembered through his contribution to drumming inside and outside of Yes. My heart goes out to Gigi and all Alan’s family.
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