Tinseltown Talks: Neil Sedaka, at 81, sings his way through the pandemic

Goerie.com ^ | 09/13/2020 | By Nick Thomas

[DJ MacWoW]

I think Eddie Van Halen’s dad started he and bro Alex on classical piano, as well.

Entirely possible as music has few "boundaries".

[Fiddlstix]

[dayglored]

Rick Wakeman was the keyboard player for the prog-rock band Yes during their heyday. Excellent, if somewhat flamboyant performer.

[DoodleBob]

I'm a yuge fan of Bobby Steele and the Undead. Bobby is a horror punk rocker but he is a musician first and foremost. For years he's covered Neil's "I Go Ape. Here is a live version of The Undead's cover, at warp speed.

Neil and Bobby rock!

[cyclotic]

Robby Steinhart of Kansas was a classically trained violinist.

[be-baw]

Rick Wakeman, formerly of the band Yes, was classically trained. I think he would call himself a keyboardist, and not necessarily a pianist, but he was great on the piano.

Keith Emerson, from Emerson, Lake and Palmer also had classical training. He put a bullet in this head a few years ago. He had become a heavy drinker and suffered nerve damage so badly, that he really couldn’t play any more. His playing and arrangements with ELP were truly great. Listen to anything from the ELP album, “Pictures at an Exhibition” and you’ll get a good taste of how great he was.

[Dr. Sivana]

The only other Rock n Roller that I know of that’s a classically trained pianist is Eric Carmen.

Elton John was enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music at age 11 on scholarship, and was trained classically for a time.

[Night Hides Not]

Wakeman had to be classically trained, just listen to his solo albums, to include Six Wives of Henry 8th, and King Arthur.

[Fiji Hill]

Stairway to Heaven

[Ackackadack]

Rick Wakeman was classically trained. Loved the joke in his speech when Yes was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Coarse for some, but funny. Also, when they played Roundabout for the ceremony, Geddy Lee filled in for Chris Squire, which I thought was an excellent choice. Geddy totally pulled it off, IMHO.

[dayglored]

Absolutely true; among other studies, he attended the Royal College of Music in London, aiming to become a concert pianist. Fate intervened, but his abilities displayed in his later professional career certainly show the influence of those earlier studies.

[Captainpaintball]

I like him. I admire his talent, and I like how he talks, too. He’s actually a humorous guy.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Stairway to Heaven

Not to be confused with the Led Zeppelin song of the same title :)

[4 Libertys sake]

Mr. William Joel (in my Ed Sullivan voice)... of Long Island.... is classically trained and has written classical pieces, although he has not published them.

[Fiji Hill]

Not to be confused with the Led Zeppelin song of the same title :)

I've heard that other group's "Stairway to Heaven," but I don't like it. Neil's "Stairway to Heaven" rules.