Alan White obituary: longtime drummer for Yes dies at 72

Alan White was the legendary drummer for the classic progressive rock band Yes.  

Yes drummer

Alan White was a drummer in the 1960s for Bill Fury’s band and for Alan Price. In 1969, John Lennon called White and asked him to join the Plastic Ono Band for a show in Toronto, Canada. He hung up on Lennon at first, thinking it was a prank, but when the legendary Beatle called back, White agreed to join. He played on recording sessions for John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ and for George Harrison’s ‘All Things Must Pass.’ When Yes drummer Bill Bruford left the band in 1972 to join King Crimson, White joined the prog rock band. He played on many hit songs by Yes including ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart.’ He was set to join the band on their upcoming concert tour.

Notable Quote

“That’s exactly right. I was sure it was somebody playing a joke, so I hung up. A minute later the phone rang again, and sure enough, it really was John Lennon. He said he’d seen me play the night before in a club – I was gigging with a local band – he liked what I did, and he wanted me to play in Toronto for this peace event. I didn’t have time to think, but of course I said, ‘Sure.’ You don’t say no to John Lennon.” – Interview with Music Radar in 2009  

Tributes to Alan White  

Full Obituary: Pitchfork

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