White was a founding member of Yes
Alan White, legendary drummer best known for being the backbone of the band Yes since 1972, has passed away at the age of 72. The sad news was confirmed by White’s family on his Facebook page on Thursday (May 26th).
“Alan White, our beloved husband, dad, and grandpa, passed away at the age of 72 at his Seattle-area home on May 26, 2022, after a brief illness,” the post reads. “Throughout his life and six-decade career, Alan was many things to many people: a certified rock star to fans around the world; band mate to a select few, and gentleman and friend to all who met him. Alan was born in Pelton, County Durham, England on June 14, 1949. He began piano lessons at the age of six, began playing the drums at age twelve, and has been performing publicly since the age of thirteen.”
White began playing with John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band after receiving what he thought was a prank phone call in 1969. The next day, White found himself learning songs in the back of an airplane headed to Toronto with Lennon, Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, and Klaus Voormann. The group released, Live Peace in Toronto, which sold millions of copies, peaking at No. 10 on the charts.
White joined Yes in July 1972, and with only three days to learn the music, the rockers opened their US tour before 15,000 fans in Dallas, Texas. White is the longest continuously serving Yes band member, along with co-founder Chris Quire, who passed away in June 2015.
White is survived by his wife of 40 years, Rogena “Gigi,” his children, Jesse and Cassi, two grandchildren and sister-in-law Andrea Holmqvist.
