Yes announce The Royal Affair tour with Asia, Carl Palmer and John Lodge

Yes will team up with an all-star lineup of British prog-rock pioneers for a summer tour of North America.

The Royal Affair trek will present the legendary band joined by Asia, John Lodge of The Moody Blues, and Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy with guest vocals by Arthur Brown for the 7-week series, which will begin in Bethlehem, PA on June 12 and see more shows added in the coming weeks.

Fresh off their 50th anniversary tour and celebrations, Yes will deliver material from throughout their career while honoring the memory of late band members Chris Squire and Peter Banks.

Asia will play their signature songs and pay tribute to their late founding member John Wetton, with a portion of their set to feature original guitarist Steve Howe in a special performance. Asia will also introduce its new line-up featuring guitarist/lead vocalist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and bassist Billy Sherwood.

John Lodge's set will encompass his classic hits by Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductees The Moody Blues and pay tribute to the band's recently departed member Ray Thomas.

Carl Palmer will honor the memory of his fellow Emerson, Lake And Palmer members Keith Emerson and Greg Lake, with vocals by Arthur Brown.

As part of the evening's British theme, there will be Alan White of Yes' tribute to John Lennon; White was the drummer on Lennon's solo material, including the recording of "Imagine."

"Yes is delighted to headline this celebration of British music,” says Howe, “which has been so warmly received in America over the past five decades."

"I'm looking forward to joining a number of classic British talents that have delighted so many fans over the past half century," raves White, while Downes adds, “This is a unique celebration of the British contribution to classic rock over many decades. It will be inspirational to be a part of… and I know it is what John Wetton would have wanted."

Tickets for most shows on “The Royal Affair Tour” will go on sale Friday, April 5; for full details, visit yesworld.com.

Yes
The Royal Affair tour
North America 2019

Jun 12 – Bethlehem, PA @ Bethlehem Event Center
Jun 14 – Farmingdale, NY Long Island @ Community Hospital Amphitheater
Jun 15 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
Jun 16 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
Jun 20 – Westchester, NY @ Westchester County Center
Jun 21 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
Jun 22 – Baltimore, MD @ MECU Pavillion
Jun 24 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
Jun 25 – Lewiston, NY @ Artpark Amphitheater
Jun 27 – Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Jun 29 – Gilford, NH @ Bank of NH Pavilion
Jun 30 – Providence, RI @ Bold Point Park
Jul 03 – Rochester Hills, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
Jul 05 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live
Jul 06 – Aurora, IL @ RiverEdge Park
Jul 08 – Nashville, TN @ Grand Ole Opry House
Jul 10 – Cary, NC @ Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park
Jul 12 – Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
Jul 13 – Hollywood, FL @ Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Jul 18 – St Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Jul 20 – Irving, TX @ Toyota Music Factory
Jul 21 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
Jul 24 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
Jul 26 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint (Hard Rock Hotel & Casino)
Jul 27 – Irvine, CA @ FivePoints Amphitheatre
Jul 28 – Saratoga, CA @ The Mountain Winery


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Search Yes at hennemusic

ELP: Greg Lake memoir due this spring

Emerson, Lake And Palmer frontman Greg Lake’s memoir, “Lucky Man”, will be published posthumously this spring by the Little, Brown Book Group imprint Constable.

Written in Lake's own words, the project will arrive just a few months after the musician passed away from cancer on December 7, 2016 at the age of 69.

"I have been Greg's manager and close friend since 1972,” explains Stewart Young. “In 2014 Greg was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He told me he was going to write his autobiography and it had to be in his own words. He had no regrets. In his wildest dreams he could never imagine having such a wonderful life; how extraordinary to have such a career in music — to do what you want, simply to expand, experiment!

“To love a woman, be married to her for 43 years, have a daughter he would be so proud of and then to cap it all a grandson who is now four years old and became the centre of his life. He then said, with a twinkle in his eye, I truly am a Lucky Man."

"Greg finished writing his poignant memoir just before he died last month, and I'm very sorry he won't be here to see it published,” adds Constable Publishing Director Andreas Campomar. “Probably the voice of his generation, Greg fronted the greatest rock supergroup of the 1970s but never held with the 'progressive' tag that attached itself to both the music and the excess.

“The memoir not only charts the highs and lows of a career in rock music but also reflects on the death of Keith Emerson last year and living with terminal cancer and the end of life. I think Greg can best be summed up by his now-famous line: 'Material wealth is a very fleeting pleasure … when you can buy anything you want and do anything you want, you soon discover that you actually don't want any of it.'"

Lake joined progressive rock pioneers King Crimson in 1968, playing bass and handling vocals on the band’s groundbreaking debut, 1969’s “In The Court of The Crimson King.”

He formed the supergroup ELP with keyboardist Keith Emerson and drummer Carl Palmer in 1970, and the trio went on to sell more than 50 million albums worldwide.


See also:

ELP frontman Greg Lake dead at 69
ELP: Keith Emerson suicide motives revealed
ELP: Greg Lake pays tribute to Keith Emerson
ELP keyboardist Keith Emerson dead at 71
ELP’s Keith Emerson recovering from surgery

ELP frontman Greg Lake dead at 69

Emerson, Lake And Palmer frontman Greg Lake died Wednesday at the age of 69.

“Yesterday, December 7th, I lost my best friend to a long and stubborn battle with cancer,” announced Lake’s manager Stewart Young. “Greg Lake will stay in my heart forever, as he has always been. His family would be grateful for privacy during this time of their grief.”

Lake’s passing comes just nine months after ELP keyboardist Keith Emerson’s March 10 suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 71 at his home in Santa Monica, CA.

“It is with great sadness that I must now say goodbye to my friend and fellow band-mate, Greg Lake,” said drummer Carl Palmer. “Greg’s soaring voice and skill as a musician will be remembered by all who knew his music and recordings he made with ELP and King Crimson. I have fond memories of those great years we had in the 1970s and many memorable shows we performed together.

“Having lost Keith this year as well, has made this particularly hard for all of us. As Greg sang at the end of Pictures At An Exhibition, ‘death is life.’ His music can now live forever in the hearts of all who loved him.”

Lake joined progressive rock pioneers King Crimson in 1968, playing bass and handling vocals on the band’s groundbreaking debut, 1969’s “In The Court of The Crimson King.” He met Emerson while on tour with openers Nice and the two decided to form a band, but not before Lake recorded vocals for Crimson’s second release, 1970’s “In the Wake of Poseidon.”

Emerson and Lake recruited Palmer from Atomic Rooster and the new supergroup’s performance at 1970’s Isle Of Wight festival secured them a record deal with Atlantic Records, and they issued their self-titled debut album in November of that year.

ELP’s first seven albums reached the UK Top 10, with 1971’s “Tarkus” hitting No. 1 and 1972’s “Trilogy” and 1973’s “Brain Salad Surgery” peaking at No. 2 in their native land.

Lake scored a No.2 UK hit with his solo 1975 single, “I Believe In Father Christmas.”

A traditional album over singles band, the trio did manage to score a No. 2 UK hit in 1977 with their version of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare For The Common Man.”

After ELP disbanded in 1979, Lake launched a solo career before he and Emerson formed Emerson, Lake & Powell with former Rainbow drummer Cozy Powell in 1985 and released a self-titled album in 1986.

ELP regrouped in 1991 to tour and released a pair of records – 1992’s “Black Moon” and 1994’s “In The Hot Seat” – before shutting things down for a second time in 1998.

In 2010, Emerson and Lake toured North America for a series of "An Intimate Evening with Emerson and Lake" concerts and the full ELP lineup managed a one-off reunion that same year at London’s High Voltage festival to commemorate the band's 40th anniversary.




See also:

ELP: Keith Emerson suicide motives revealed
ELP: Greg Lake pays tribute to Keith Emerson
ELP keyboardist Keith Emerson dead at 71
Carl Palmer: after 40 years, ELP are finished
ELP’s Keith Emerson recovering from surgery

ELP: Keith Emerson suicide motives revealed

Keith Emerson’s girlfriend is shedding some light on the motives behind the keyboardist’s March 10 suicide at their home in Santa Monica, CA.

Emerson died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 71.

Mari Kawaguchi tells the Daily Mail that the Emerson, Lake & Palmer star killed himself because he feared he was no longer good enough as a musician and was 'tormented with worry' about upcoming concerts in Japan as nerve damage to a hand had affected his playing.

“His right hand and arm had given him problems for years,” said Kawaguchi. “He had an operation a few years ago to take out a bad muscle but the pain and nerve issues in his right hand were getting worse. He had concerts coming up in Japan and even though they hired a back-up keyboard player to support him, Keith was worried.

“He read all the criticism online and was a sensitive soul. Last year he played concerts and people posted mean comments such as, 'I wish he would stop playing.' He was tormented with worry that he wouldn't be good enough. He was planning to retire after Japan.”

“He didn't want to let down his fans,” she added. “He was a perfectionist and the thought he wouldn't play perfectly made him depressed, nervous and anxious.”

Both Carl Palmer and Greg Lake issued tributes to their former bandmate, with Lake saying, “As sad and tragic as Keith’s death is, I would not want this to be the lasting memory people take away with them. What I will always remember about Keith Emerson was his remarkable talent as a musician and composer and his gift and passion to entertain. Music was his life and despite some of the difficulties he encountered, I am sure that the music he created will live on forever.”

Emerson, Lake and Palmer formed ELP in London in 1970. The trio scored album success in their native UK throughout the 1970s, including a No. 2 hit in 1977 with their version of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare For The Common Man.”

ELP played a one-off reunion show at London’s High Voltage festival to commemorate the band's 40th anniversary in 2010.


See also:

ELP: Greg Lake pays tribute to Keith Emerson
ELP keyboardist Keith Emerson dead at 71
Carl Palmer: after 40 years, ELP are finished
ELP’s Keith Emerson recovering from surgery

ELP: Greg Lake pays tribute to Keith Emerson

(L-R) Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer

Greg Lake has offered a personal tribute to his former Emerson, Lake & Palmer bandmate Keith Emerson, who died at his home in Santa Monica from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 10.

“To all ELP friends and fans all over the world, I would like to express my deep sadness upon hearing this tragic news,” said Lake in a released statement. “As you know, Keith and I spent many of the best years of our lives together and to witness his life coming to an end in the way that it has is painful, both to myself and to all who knew him.

“As sad and tragic as Keith’s death is, I would not want this to be the lasting memory people take away with them. What I will always remember about Keith Emerson was his remarkable talent as a musician and composer and his gift and passion to entertain. Music was his life and despite some of the difficulties he encountered, I am sure that the music he created will live on forever.

“My deepest condolences go to Keith’s family. May he now be at peace.”

The band shared the news via their social media sites on Friday, writing, “We regret to announce that Keith Emerson died last night at his home in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, aged 71. We ask that the family’s privacy and grief be respected.”

Emerson, Lake and former Crazy World Of Arthur Brown and Atomic Rooster drummer Carl Palmer formed ELP in London in 1970.

Always a big draw in their homeland, ELP’s first seven albums reached the UK Top 10, with 1971’s “Tarkus” hitting No. 1 and 1972’s “Trilogy” and 1973’s “Brain Salad Surgery” peaking at No. 2.

The trio scored a No. 2 UK hit in 1977 with their version of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare For The Common Man.”

ELP disbanded in 1979, regrouped in 1991 and shut things down for a second time in 1998. They played a one-off reunion show at London’s High Voltage festival in 2010 to commemorate the band's 40th anniversary.


See also:

ELP keyboardist Keith Emerson dead at 71

ELP keyboardist Keith Emerson dead at 71

Emerson, Lake And Palmer keyboardist Keith Emerson died Thursday at the age of 71.

The band shared the news via their social media sites, writing, “We regret to announce that Keith Emerson died last night at his home in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, aged 71. We ask that the family’s privacy and grief be respected.”

Billboard reports Santa Monica Police are investigating the death as a possible a suicide, as they confirm that Emerson suffered a single gunshot wound to the head.

"I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend and brother-in-music, Keith Emerson," former bandmate Carl Palmer wrote on his Facebook page. “Keith was a gentle soul whose love for music and passion for his performance as a keyboard player will remain unmatched for many years to come. He was a pioneer and an innovator whose musical genius touched all of us in the worlds of rock, classical and jazz.

“I will always remember his warm smile, good sense of humor, compelling showmanship, and dedication to his musical craft. I am very lucky to have known him and to have made the music we did, together. Rest in peace, Keith.”

Emerson first came to prominence as a member of the pioneering 60s progressive outfit The Nice, before forming ELP with former Crazy World Of Arthur Brown and Atomic Rooster drummer Palmer and ex-King Crimson bassist/vocalist Greg Lake in London in 1970.

The supergroup’s performance at 1970’s Isle Of Wight festival secured them a record deal with Atlantic Records, and they issued their self-titled debut album in November of that year.

ELP’s first seven albums reached the UK Top 10, with 1971’s “Tarkus” hitting No. 1 and 1972’s “Trilogy” and 1973’s “Brain Salad Surgery” peaking at No. 2 in their native land.

A traditional album over singles band, the trio did manage to score a No. 2 UK hit in 1977 with their version of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare For The Common Man.”

After ELP disbanded in 1979, Emerson and Lake formed Emerson, Lake & Powell with former Rainbow drummer Cozy Powell in 1985 and released a self-titled project in 1986.

ELP regrouped in 1991 to tour and released a pair of albums – 1992’s “Black Moon” and 1994’s “In The Hot Seat” – before shutting things down for a second time in 1998.

A supergroup of Emerson, Yes members Chris Squire and Alan White, and Bad Company’s Simon Kirke were one of the openers for the Led Zeppelin reunion/Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert at the O2 Arena in London in December 2007.

In 2010, Emerson and Lake toured North America for a series of "An Intimate Evening with Emerson and Lake" concerts and the full ELP lineup managed a one-off reunion that same year at London’s High Voltage festival to commemorate the band's 40th anniversary.

Christmas Rock: Greg Lake of ELP

hennemusic is rockin’ some Christmas favorites to celebrate the spirit of the holiday season.

Greg Lake of Emerson Lake & Palmer released a classic seasonal track in 1975 as a solo single; “I Believe In Father Christmas” reached #2 in the UK charts.

The song has been included on several ELP albums and collections throughout the years.


Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas

Greg Lake – I Believe In Father Christmas

Carl Palmer: after 40 years, ELP are finished

After four decades, Emerson, Lake and Palmer are done.

Drummer Carl Palmer has told Classic Rock that ELP’s 40th anniversary reunion gig at this summer’s High Voltage Festival will be the trio’s final appearance together.

“Well, for reasons I won’t go into, it’s always hard to rev it up,” said Palmer. “We rehearsed for it for a month, which almost killed me. Not the physical side of it, just keeping interested. Me personally, I didn’t need a month. But that’s what we did, and when it came to the gig, what you saw was what you got. That’s as good as it will ever be (again). Everyone seemed pretty happy with it, and I think that gig will be far as the three of us can take things.”

If you missed it, the High Voltage show will be released on DVD.

“We’ve been doing some overdubs and there will also be an audio CD, but it’s looking really good,” according to Palmer. “And that’s about it, really. There are no plans to do anything else, not from my perspective anyway. I’ve let the other two know that. Being the 40th anniversary, it seemed a great way to finish things. Let’s just leave it there.”

Read the full interview here.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

ELP – Karn Evil 9, 1st Impression, Pt. 2
California Jam
Ontario Motor Speedway – Ontario, CA - April 6, 1974

ELP’s Keith Emerson recovering from surgery

Emerson Lake And Palmer’s keyboard master Keith Emerson has opened up to fans via Facebook about some recent surgery he underwent.

Make that surgeries. Plural.

“This all started during a routine medical that incorporated an endoscopy, MRI, blood tests - all of which turned out OK,” writes Keith. “Finally, my doctor looked up my past medical records. ‘I see it’s been over five years since your last colonoscopy. To be safe it is time for another.’ That test caused concern with the reveal of a dangerous polyp situated in my large colon. It was decided that I should have it removed for analysis immediately. This involved laparoscopic surgery and a two-inch incision in my stomach to remove about two inches of the colon it was attached to.”

“However, surgery showed up more than anyone had bargained for. A large section of my lower colon was afflicted with a diverticular disease with significant number of diverticula and it all had to come out - nearly a foot and a half of it!”

The colonoscopy surgery was complete, but left Emerson wondering about the outcome. “When I came round from the anesthetic, I discovered that I had been cut from the lower end of my rib cage to the pubic region, and what they had taken out was now in the laboratory for analysis. It would be a week before I knew the results.”

Emerson and his doctors faced a more immediate issue to deal with. “Meanwhile, as I lay hoping I might be recovering, I was bleeding heavily, internally,” Keith explains. "The initial response was to wait and see if the two parts of the healthy colon had bonded successfully and the bleeding would stop.”

“It didn’t.”

“Two blood transfusions later at 11PM, I was told I had no option other than to be immediately rushed back to the operating theater. I really thought that was it,” said Emerson. “I had no time to tell friends or family.”

“The rest is a bit of a blur, except I do remember a surgeon saying to me sometime the next day that he had successfully clipped the two parts of the colon together and halted the spurting blood vessel. Of course I remained doubtful and almost in a panic if I felt I was about to sneeze, as I still am. A few days later the results from the lab had come in. Thankfully, the polyp was not malignant.”

Emerson is now recovering from his surgeries with a new appreciation for a simple procedure that doctors routinely perform. “This experience made me realize the importance of having a colon screening,” he continued, “And, of donating blood.”

“After two weeks in the hospital, I am now recuperating in Sussex, having been told by doctors and surgeons that it will be some time before I fully get my strength back.”

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Knife Edge (1970)


Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Lucky Man (1970)