Who Replaced Rick Wakeman In Yes? A Look At The Band’S Keyboardists

After the release of the album Drama and subsequent tour in 1980, Yes decided to take a break. This period saw some significant changes in the band’s lineup. Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn replaced Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson, respectively. Yes officially disbanded in 1981.

Geoff Downes was a keyboardist who had previously played with the band The Buggles. He brought a fresh perspective to Yes’s sound, infusing it with a more electronic and synth-driven edge. Downes’s keyboard skills were impressive and he quickly proved himself to be a worthy successor to Wakeman. He stayed with the band for their 1980 album Drama which was their final album with the lineup that featured Wakeman. He would eventually return to the band after a period of departure to rejoin them for their *90125* album.

Yes had been undergoing lineup changes since their inception in the late 1960s and the band had a complex history of musicians coming and going. The change in lineup in 1980 resulted in a change in the musical direction of the band and they were able to achieve success with their new lineup, releasing the hugely successful *90125* album. Geoff Downes was instrumental in shaping this new sound and he remains a popular figure in the Yes community.