"Around about September 1948, Mr and Mrs Cyril Wakeman had an early night and some time later, at Perivale in Middlesex, Mrs Wakeman produced a bonny baby son. They named him Richard, but he quickly became known as Rick. ick was a likable little fellow who had a talent for the piano and for making trouble, and music became Rick s life. Later he joined a popular music group called Yes and became a legend. Much later he became a Grumpy Old Man who appears on Countdown, hosts a hugely popular radio show on Planet Rock and performs a one-man show telling stories about his rather extraordinary life. hich is where this book you are holding comes in. Mr Wakeman is simply one of the great storytellers of our age let s face it, he has some fabulous material. It seemed a shame that some of the funniest yarns should not be more widely known. So he accepted some cash and here we are. url up by the fire with a Grumpy Old Rockstar and your nearest and dearest. We defy you not to want to read it aloud and laugh."
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Not so much a detailed autobiography, more of a series of laugh out loud anecdotes and tales from keyboard virtuoso Wakeman's life and career. Some of these are remarkable, some are terrible, and some are simply bizarre. Rick comes across as being affable and personable, as opposed to grumpy.
I listened to the audio book which Rick narrates himself. It's like he's sitting next to you in a pub, having a chat as he recounts:
- getting hold of a KGB uniform, in the middle of the cold war
- drinking a plane dry
- gaining access to a nuclear submarine
- feeding meat to his vegetarian Yes band mates
- having a heart attack at 25 – twice
- staging King Arthur (on ice)
- playing in a circus with Salvador Dali
- watching Keith Moon trash a restaurant
- giving up drink after being told he had 6 months to live
- hanging out with Ronnie Biggs and Fidel Castro.
What a life he has had. Always self-deprecating but amusing. This was a tremendous way to while away a few hours cheering myself up as try to get though this pandemic without going crazy.
