Alan White (Yes drummer)
| Alan White | |
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White in 2003
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| Background information | |
| Born | 14 June 1949 |
| Origin | Pelton, County Durham, England |
| Genres | Progressive rock, pop rock, hard rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Drums, percussion |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Labels | Atlantic |
| Associated acts | Plastic Ono Band, John Lennon, Yes, Circa, White, The Syn |
| Website | www |
Alan White (born 14 June 1949) is an English drummer and songwriter best known for his tenure in the progressive rock band Yes, which he joined in 1972. Born and raised in County Durham, White took up piano and drum lessons as a youngster. In 1969, he joined the Plastic Ono Band after John Lennon invited him to play at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival festival. White went on to play on other recordings from artists such as George Harrison, Ginger Baker's Air Force, and Terry Reid; he notably provided drums for Lennon's "Imagine", one of the most famous songs of all time.
White joined Yes in July 1972 as a replacement for their original drummer, Bill Bruford. White has performed on over 50 albums throughout his career, including those by Joe Cocker, Ginger Baker, and The Ventures. White was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Yes in 2017.
White was born on 14 June 1949 in the village of Pelton, County Durham in north east England. His father had different jobs, working as a clerk, shop keeper, and a lorry and bus driver who also played the piano in local pubs. His grandfather played the piano and his uncle was a drummer in local dance bands. He attended at a technical school and, at age seven, moved to the nearby town of Ferryhill, where he spent the rest of his childhood. At age six, White began to take piano lessons, playing the instrument "very percussively", which his uncle noticed and informed his parents who bought him an Ajax drum kit for Christmas when he was twelve. White names his uncle as a big influence. White felt he was pushed to learn and play like his drum instructor and wished "to be more individual" on the instrument, so he began to develop his own style. His parents went on to buy him a metallic silver Ludwig kit.
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