Gary Pickford-Hopkins (1948 – 22 June 2013) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

singer, composer and guitarist whose career began in the early 1960s. He is best known as co-lead vocalist with Ashley Holt on two of

Rick Wakeman Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist best known as a former member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his solo albums released in the 1970s. Born and raised ...

's most successful solo albums ''

Journey to the Centre of the Earth ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'' (french: Voyage au centre de la Terre), also translated with the variant titles ''A Journey to the Centre of the Earth'' and ''A Journey into the Interior of the Earth'', is a classic science fiction novel ...

'' and ''

The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table ''The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table'' is a studio album by English keyboardist Rick Wakeman, released on 27 March 1975 by A&M Records. It is a concept album based on the stories and people of the King Arthur ...

''.

Career

Gary Pickford-Hopkins began his musical career at the age of 16 with a local Neath group called The Smokestacks in 1964. He soon joined Eyes Of Blue, who in 1966 won the

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

's Battle of the Bands, they have recorded two albums,

John Weathers John Patrick 'Pugwash' Weathers (born 7 February 1947) is a retired Welsh rock drummer, best known for playing with the progressive rock band Gentle Giant. Early life Born in Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales, he moved to Swansea until, aged ...

was on drums and he would later follow Pickford-Hopkins to Wild Turkey and then join

Gentle Giant Gentle Giant were a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band were known for the complexity and sophistication of their music and for the varied musical skills of their members. All of the band members were multi-inst ...

. In 1970, he briefly joined Big Sleep, and a year later he went to play with

Glenn Cornick Glenn Douglas Barnard Cornick (23 April 1947 – 28 August 2014) was an English bass guitarist, best known as the original bassist for the British rock band Jethro Tull from 1967 to 1970. ''Rolling Stone'' has called his playing with Tull as " ...

's Wild Turkey which recorded three albums from 1971 to June 1974, when he joined

English Rock Ensemble Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist best known as a former member of the progressive rock band Yes (band), Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his solo albums released in the 1970s. Born ...

to produce the live album ''

'' in 1974 which reached number one on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

and peaked at number 3 on the

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...

in the United States. It was certified gold in the United States and United Kingdom. He later sang on Wakeman's third solo album ''

''. Pickford-Hopkins later joined Network, who split up around 1979. By 1980 he was with The Houseband. He also had a brief spell with The Broadcasters and rejoined Wild Turkey again. Pickford-Hopkins produced his only solo album ''GPH'' in 2003.

Personal life and death

Pickford-Hopkins first marriage was to Jan; they had twin sons. After their divorce Gary married his second wife Sian and they lived together in the village of

Garnant Garnant is a Welsh mining village in the valley of the River Amman in Carmarthenshire, north of Swansea. Like the neighbouring village of Glanamman it experienced a coal-mining boom in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but the last big colli ...

in Wales. Pickford-Hopkins died of cancer on 22 June 2013.

Discography

With Eyes Of Blue : *''The Crossroads Of Time'' (1968) *''In Fields Of Ardath'' (1969) With Wild Turkey *''Battle Hymn'' (1971) *''Turkey'' (1972) *''Stealer of Years'' (1996) *''You & Me In The Jungle'' (2006)

Chick Churchill Michael George "Chick" Churchill (born 2 January 1946) is an English keyboard player of the late 1960s to 1970s blues rock band Ten Years After. Career Churchill began playing the piano at the age of six and studied classical music until he wa ...

*''You And Me'' (1973) with Gary Pickford-Hopkins,

Roger Hodgson Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson (born 21 March 1950) is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the former co-frontman and founding member of progressive rock band Supertramp. Hodgson composed and sang the majority of the band’ ...

Cozy Powell Cozy Powell (born Colin Trevor Flooks; 29 December 1947 – 5 April 1998) was an English rock drummer who made his name with major rock bands and artists such as The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Gary Moore, Robert Plant, ...

and

Martin Barre Martin Lancelot Barre (; born 17 November 1946) is an English guitarist best known for his longtime role as lead guitarist of British rock band Jethro Tull, with whom he recorded and toured from 1968 until the band's initial dissolution in 201 ...

. With the Rick Wakeman band (English Rock Ensemble) -Studio albums : *''

'' (1975) *''The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table'' (2016) With rerecorded parts. -Live album : *''

'' (1974) -Bootleg album : *''Unleashing The Tethered One - The 1974 North American Tour'' (1974) -DVD : *''Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Live in Concert DVD'' (2002) *''Journey to the Centre of the Earth - 30th Anniversary Collectors Edition DVD'' (2016) -Greatest Hits : *''Recollections: The Very Best of Rick Wakeman 1973-1979'' (2000) Solo album *''GPH'' (2003) ;Selected singles With Wild Turkey *"Good Old Days" (1972) Gary Pickford-Hopkins And Friends *"Why?" (1986) Gary Pickford Hopkins And

Llanelli RFC Llanelli Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Llanelli) is a Welsh rugby union club founded on 30 March 1872. The club's historic home ground was Stradey Park in Llanelli, but they moved in 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent Pembert ...

*"The Stradey Song" (1988)

References

Sources

* )Eyes Of Blue Discography : https://www.discogs.com/fr/artist/358573-Eyes-Of-Blue *''Unleashing The Tethered One - The 1974 North American Tour'' (1974) : http://www.rwcc.com/artist_detail.asp?int_artistID=43 *''Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Live in Concert DVD'' (2002) : http://www.rwcc.com/artist_detail.asp?int_artistID=43 *''Journey to the Centre of the Earth - 30th Anniversary Collectors Edition DVD'' (2016) : http://www.rwcc.com/artist_detail.asp?int_artistID=43 *''The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table'' (2016) : https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/rickwakeman

External links