Rick Wakeman for The Wizard of Prog

From the keyboardist from Yes, Rick Wakeman, the new memoir, The Wizard of Prog, tells the story of a musical genius with a taste for adventure, a delightful sense of the absurd, and a winning gift for comedy.

The first of his epic concept albums, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, was released in 1973 to indifferent reviews, but became a worldwide hit, to the surprise of his record label. The following year, Journey to the Centre of the Earth was another phenomenon. He took it around the world, with orchestras and choirs, which he funded himself.

After headlining Crystal Palace Park, he suffered a heart attack aged just 25. Languishing in hospital, he wrote his next album, The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Ignoring doctors' orders to retire, he went straight on tour. However, the cost of his lavishly staged concerts, combined with his second divorce, eventually caught up with him, leaving him impoverished, homeless, and occasionally even sleeping rough by 1980. He lived to tell the tale and many more like it.

Rick Wakeman became a sought-after session musician, playing on 'Space Oddity' and 'Life On Mars?' for David Bowie, 'Morning Has Broken' for Cat Stevens and on tracks for Elton John, Marc Bolan, and Lou Reed. After a brief stint in the folk rock group Strawbs, he joined Yes. Later, he formed his own band, the English Rock Ensemble.