Yes (band) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yes
Yes in concert, 1977. From left to right: Steve Howe, Alan White (behind the drums), Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	Progressive rock pop rock art rock
Years active	1968–1981 1983–2004 2008–present
Labels	Atlantic Atco Arista Victory Sanctuary Eagle Frontiers Inside Out
Members	Steve Howe Geoff Downes Billy Sherwood Jon Davison Jay Schellen
Past members	Jon Anderson Chris Squire Peter Banks Bill Bruford Tony Kaye Tony O'Reilly Rick Wakeman Alan White Patrick Moraz Trevor Horn Trevor Rabin Eddie Jobson Igor Khoroshev Oliver Wakeman Benoît David

Yes is a famous English progressive rock band. Over the years, many musicians have been part of the band. Since February 2023, the band includes guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Geoff Downes, bassist Billy Sherwood, singer Jon Davison, and drummer Jay Schellen. Yes is known for trying out different music styles. They are especially famous for being pioneers in progressive rock.

Yes is one of the most successful and long-lasting progressive rock bands. They have sold over 30 million albums worldwide. In 1985, they won a Grammy Award for their song "Cinema". They were also nominated for five other Grammy Awards. In April 2017, Yes was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Story of Yes

Yes started in London in 1968. The first members were singer Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Peter Banks, keyboard player Tony Kaye, and drummer Bill Bruford. At first, they played their own songs and new versions of rock, pop, blues, and jazz songs. You can hear this on their first album, Yes (1969), and Time and a Word (1970).

Early Success

In 1970, the band changed their musical direction. They started making successful progressive rock albums. Four of these albums sold millions in the U.S.: The Yes Album (1971), Fragile (1971), Close to the Edge (1972), and the live album Yessongs (1973). Other successful albums followed, like Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973) and Relayer (1974).

Yes became known for their amazing live shows. They had detailed stage designs, cool light shows, and unique album covers by artist Roger Dean. Their song "Roundabout" from the album Fragile became very popular.

Changes in the Band

Jon Anderson and Chris Squire stayed with the band through the 1970s. However, Peter Banks, Tony Kaye, and Bill Bruford left between 1970 and 1972. They were replaced by Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman, and Alan White. Rick Wakeman left in 1974 but came back two years later. Patrick Moraz played keyboards while Wakeman was away. After their album Drama and a tour in 1980, Yes broke up in 1981. For Drama, Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn joined the band.

Coming Back Together

In 1983, Chris Squire and Alan White started Yes again. Jon Anderson and Tony Kaye also returned, and Trevor Rabin joined as a new guitarist. Trevor Rabin's songwriting helped the band create more mainstream rock music. This led to 90125 (1983), their best-selling album. It included the number-one hit song "Owner of a Lonely Heart". Their next album, Big Generator (1987), was also very popular.

In 1989, Jon Anderson and former members Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman, and Steve Howe released an album called Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe. Later, these members joined with the current Yes members (Squire, Kaye, White, and Rabin) to form an eight-person Yes lineup. They released the album Union in 1991.

From 1994 to 2001, Yes released more studio albums. After a break, they started touring again in 2008. They have continued to release new music, with their latest album, Mirror to the Sky, coming out in 2023. Sadly, Chris Squire, the last original member, passed away in 2015. Alan White also passed away in 2022.

Recent News

In January 2023, Warner Music Group bought the rights to 12 of Yes's studio albums. In February, Jay Schellen officially became the band's permanent drummer.

On March 10, 2023, Yes announced their new album, Mirror to the Sky, would be released on May 19, 2023. They also released the song "Cut from the Stars" as a digital single. The band members said they wanted to keep creating music, building on ideas from their previous album, The Quest. In January 2024, Billy Sherwood shared that the band is already working on their next album.

Band Members

Current Members

• Steve Howe – guitars, vocals (1970–1981, 1990–1992, 1995–2004, 2008–present)
• Geoff Downes – keyboards (1980–1981, 2011–present)
• Billy Sherwood – bass guitar (2015–present), vocals (1997–2000, 2015–present), guitars (1997–2000), keyboards (1997–1998); touring member 1994
• Jon Davison – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion, occasional keyboards (2012–present)
• Jay Schellen – drums, percussion (2023–present; touring member 2016–2017, 2018–2023)

Former Members

• Chris Squire – bass guitar, vocals (1968–1981, 1983–2004, 2008–2015; his death)
• Jon Anderson – lead and backing vocals, guitar, percussion, occasional synthesizer (1968–1980, 1983–1988, 1990–2004, 2008)
• Bill Bruford – drums, percussion (1968–1972, 1990–1992)
• Tony Kaye – organ, piano, synthesizer (1968–1971, 1983–1995; touring guest 2018–2019)
• Peter Banks – guitar, backing vocals (1968–1970; died 2013)
• Tony O'Reilly – drums (1968)
• Rick Wakeman – keyboards (1971–1974, 1976–1980, 1990–1992, 1995–1997, 2002–2004)
• Alan White – drums, percussion, piano, backing vocals (1972–1981, 1983–2004, 2008–2022; his death)
• Patrick Moraz – keyboards (1974–1976; guest 2018)
• Trevor Horn – lead vocals, bass guitar (1980–1981, 2016, 2017, 2018; guest 2016, 2018)
• Trevor Rabin – guitars, lead and backing vocals, keyboards (1983–1995, 2017)
• Eddie Jobson – keyboards (1983)
• Igor Khoroshev – keyboards, backing vocals (1997–2000)
• Benoît David – lead vocals, acoustic guitar (2008–2012)
• Oliver Wakeman – keyboards (2008–2011)

Timeline

List of Yes band members

Discography

Studio albums

Images for kids

• 

  Jon Anderson in 1973

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  Trevor Rabin joined the band when it reformed in 1983 and stayed until 1994. He later became a film composer.

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  Yes performing live in June 1998

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  Jon Davison (pictured) became the lead singer in February 2012.

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  Yes performing at the Westbury Theatre in New York on July 18, 2018.

See also

In Spanish: Yes (banda) para niños