Legendary keyboardist and YES mainman, RICK WAKEMAN CBE, has been wowing US crowds with his solo shows for the past five years, bringing his unique blend of wit, storytelling, and virtuosic piano playing to the stage. And if you’re a fan of his work with YES, or his solo material, you won’t want to miss his upcoming “Strictly Wakeman” tour.
This summer, RICK WAKEMAN is teaming up with vocalist HAYLEY SANDERSON, known for her stint as a lead singer on the UK’s Strictly Come Dancing TV show (don’t worry, it’s not as cheesy as it sounds!), for a series of concerts featuring piano and vocals. That’s right, folks – just RICK WAKEMAN on piano and HAYLEY SANDERSON on vocals, performing specially adapted arrangements of his iconic material. Did you know RICK WAKEMAN has worked with the likes of DAVID BOWIE, CAT STEVENS, and ELTON JOHN as a session pianist? Talk about a resume!
The two have been collaborating for years, with HAYLEY SANDERSON singing on RICK WAKEMAN’s 2023 Live At The London Palladium box set, which featured epic performances of The Six Wives Of Henry VIII and Journey To The Centre Of The Earth (because, of course!). RICK WAKEMAN was so impressed with her talent that he nicknamed her “Strictly” – and the rest, as they say, is history.
RICK WAKEMAN is a prog rock legend, having spent time in the STRAWBS before joining YES and becoming a household name. He’s also had a successful solo career, releasing groundbreaking concept albums and playing sold-out solo shows on his Steinway grand piano. Fun fact: he’s the only pianist to have two solo instrumental albums (Piano Portraits and Piano Odyssey) enter the UK charts in the Top 10!
“Hayley is great to work with, as she has the talent to feel the music in such a way as to make all the arrangements seamless,” he comments. “Hayley and I have never worked in concert with just the piano and voice, and so it opens up opportunities for new arrangements of pieces from rare albums, like Make Me A Woman from the Time Machine album, and Julia and The Hymn from 1984.”
Don’t miss this chance to see RICK WAKEMAN and HAYLEY SANDERSON perform live together! Catch the “Strictly Wakeman” tour this summer:
Summer 2025 performances:
July
18 – Richmond, VA – The National #
20 – Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse #
21 – Ocean City, NJ – Ocean City Music Pier •
23 – Englewood, NJ – Bergen Performing Arts Center #
25 – Cincinnati, OH – Ludlow Garage #
26 – Northfield Park, OH – MGM Northfield Park – Center Stage #
29 – Derry, NH – Tupelo Music Hall •
30 – Poughkeepsie, NY – Bardavon Opera House #
31 – Phoenixville, PA – Colonial Theatre #
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