Rick Wakeman, Alan Parsons on Queen’s 2021 Birthday Honours List
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Rick Wakeman at Yes’ 2017 Rock Hall induction (Photo: Kevin Kane/WireImage for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Used with permission)
Rick Wakeman, Alan Parsons, Lulu, Alison Moyet and Engelbert Humperdinck, were among the musicians and entertainers recognized on the Queen’s 2021 birthday honours list. The Yes keyboardist, who received a CBE [Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire] said he was “stunned and genuinely very proud” in his statement. The news was revealed on June 11.
Wakeman later tweeted, “Thank you so much to everybody who sent kind words of congrats re my CBE…..when the letter first arrived I had to read three times as I was sure it was about someone else.”
Twenty-three percent of the recipients were recommended for their Covid-19 service.
Wakeman is best known as a member of Yes during five different tenures, and for his lengthy solo career. He earned a #1 album in 1974 with his own album, Journey to the Centre of the Earth. He turned 72 on May 18.
Watch the fun begin at the 2:45 mark
Related: Our interview with Wakeman on Yes and his legendary capes
Parsons, who turned 72 on December 20, received an OBE [Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire]. He is best known as a keyboardist, songwriter and producer for the Alan Parsons Project. He first received acclaim as an audio engineer while working for Abbey Road Studios.
Parsons has an extensive 2021 tour schedule. Tickets are available here.
Lulu, born Marie Lawrie in Scotland, also received a CBE. She earned her first U.K. hit with a cover of the Isley Brothers’ “Shout” as a teenager in 1964. She’s best known to U.S. audiences for her #1 single, “To Sir With Love.”
Moyet received an MBE [Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire]. The singer and songwriter known for her solo work and in the duo with former Depeche Mode keyboardist Vince Clarke in Yazoo.
Humperdinck, who turned 85 on May 2, also received an MBE. From 1967-1969, he earned seven Top 5 hits in the U.K. including the #1 single, “Please Release Me.” “What a poignant moment in time for me,” he said in a statement, referring to the title of one of his singles.
Actor Jonathan Pryce was given knighthood for his services to drama and charity. He’s appeared in such acclaimed TV series, movies and Broadway productions as Game of Thrones, The Two Popes, and Miss Saigon. He’ll also portray the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, in the final two seasons of The Crown.
Queen Elizabeth II turned 95 on April 21, twelve days after the death of her husband. Her reign as monarch began on February 6, 1952.
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