Tales and tunes from vast career

No one can accuse Rick Wakeman of standing still with a career that has seen 50m record sales around the world, more than 50 DVDS produced and high-profile television appearances on programmes such as Countdown, Top Gear, and Grumpy Old Men.

His latest venture, his one-man show — An Evening With Rick Wakeman — at the Palace Theatre, Newark, a week today (February 5) brings these experiences together.

It is a show that came about almost by accident. One night his gear did not arrive for a show. The audience were given the choice of their money back or an evening with Rick performing on a piano and telling anecdotes.

Only three people took up the money back offer, and the new show was born.

Rick (60) said: “I tell a lot of stupid and ridiculous stories, play a few songs on the piano and chat about my life and career.

“There will be people who have come to see me because I was in the band, Yes, while others will come because they have watched me on Countdown or Grumpy Old Men.

“I will talk about anything. It all depends on the audience and which road they want me to go down. It makes the show very interesting and it is never the same twice.

“I don’t have a band with me or a crew so I can do what I like. I have got a lot of stuff to pool from, which gives the show a fresh edge.”

Rick knew he was going to be a musician because he didn’t know how to do anything else.

“From the age of five I learned to play the piano and did that for about 15 years. From 12 I would be playing in jazz and dance bands. My father was a great piano player,” he said.

“Back in the 1950s, when I was a lad, people did not have television sets so we listened to the radio a lot and had our own musical evenings at home. It was great fun.”

He is currently working with orchestras, composing, and songwriting, and has a radio show on Saturdays for Planet Rock.

“Although I am extremely busy, each day is a little different,” he said.