John Anderson: biography and creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

John Anderson is an English musician best known as the founder and former vocalist of the cult progressive band Yes. Now John is engaged in solo work. From this article you can find out the biography of the musician, as well as information about his work and personal life.

Biography

John Roy Anderson was born on October 25, 1944 in Accrington (Great Britain) to an Irish mother, Kathleen, and a Scot, Albert Anderson. John Roy grew up as a creative child: he became interested in music at the age of ten, becoming a member of the school band Little John's Skiffle and performing parts on the washboard. At the age of 15, John left school, because he wanted to quickly start working and gain financial independence from his parents. For three years he managed to master the professions of an agricultural handyman, a driver, a milk carrier and many others of the same kind. In addition, the young man wanted to try himself as a professional football player, as he was fond of football at school, but due to his fragile physique, he was not accepted into the local team.

In 1962, eighteen-year-old John Anderson became the secondvocalist in the group Warriors, the place of the first vocalist was occupied by his older brother Tony. Having discovered a good potential in himself, John seriously thought about a musical career, but the Warriors were more interested in parties and drugs than in rehearsals and creativity. For this reason, John left the group in 1967. During 1968 he recorded two solo singles and also took part in the performances of several local bands.

Yes

In the same 1968, together with friends from one of the minor local bands - Chris Squire, playing bass guitar, and lead guitarist Peter Banks - John Anderson founded the group Yes, which later became a cult in the progressive rock genre. Drummer Bill Bruford and keyboardist Tony Kay joined the trio, and the band's self- titled debut album was recorded in 1969. Classic in the history of the group is precisely the ten-year period of participation of John Roy Anderson. The albums recorded by Yes from 1969 to 1979, such as The Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge, are not only the best in the band's discography, but also important in the development of the progressive genre, as well as generally cult among rock albums of all time..

Solo work

Despite the fact that it was John who was the leader and generator of all the distinctive ideas of Yes, by the end of the seventies he felt that he had "grown" out of the group. He began solo work in the early seventies, collaborating with the band King Crimson and the Greek multi-instrumental composerVangelis. In 1975 he released his first solo album Ollias of Sunhillow.

Since leaving Yes, Jon Anderson's albums have included collaborations with Vangelis and exclusively solo work. In 1983, the musician made an attempt to return to Yes, but in 1985, due to absolute creative differences, he left the band forever.

Anderson's solo discography includes 16 albums, but unlike the work of Yes, they are not of particular musical interest. In addition, John recorded 7 discs with Vangelis, and also took part in more than thirty projects of various bands and musicians.

Private life

John Anderson has been married twice. The first marriage with actress Jennifer Baker lasted from 1969 to 1995, from Jennifer Anderson has three children - daughters Deborah and Jade, son Demion. All the children followed in the footsteps of their father, became independent musicians - Deborah even performed backing vocals at some Yes performances.

Besides music, John Roy Anderson enjoys painting and paints paintings, reproductions of which appear regularly on his official website. His interests include Eastern philosophical practices: John has a collection of dream catchers and a special tent with crystals of different shapes and colors, in which he meditates before each performance.