According to Rolling Stone:
Yes drummer Alan White, who joined the progressive rock band in 1972 and stayed with them for the next 50 years, has died at 72 after a brief illness.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee is most famous for his work in Yes, but also performed with John Lennon in the Plastic Ono Band — He’s featured on both “Instant Karma” and “Imagine” — and with George Harrison on All Things Must Pass.
“Throughout his life and six-decade career, Alan was many things to many people,” his family wrote in a statement confirming his death. “A certified rock star to fans around the world; band mate to a select few, and gentleman and friend to all who met him.”
White was born in Pelton, County Durham, England on June 14, 1949. He began playing drums at 12 and started gigging in London clubs the following year. His life changed forever in 1969 when he received a phone call from John Lennon. “I thought it was a friend trying to joke with me, so I put the phone down,” White told Rolling Stone in 2019. “Eventually I got a call back and he told me he was doing a gig in Toronto and was I available to play drums and can he send a car to pick me up the next morning.”
Back in 2017, we had the pleasure of chatting with Alan White. You can check out our interview here.
