Jon Anderson returning to Green Valley Ranch
Jon Anderson’s rift with Yes sounds like the Monty Python routine turned into a “Spamalot” show tune: “I’m Not Dead Yet.”
The distinctive, choir-boy voice of Yes was nearly silenced in 2008 by severe asthma and a blocked bile duct requiring multiple surgeries. Yes replaced him with sound-alike singer Benoit David, a move that proved to be permanent after Anderson recovered and the group still recorded a new album without him.
None of this had taken a toll on the 67-year-old singer’s optimism during his last visit to Green Valley Ranch in December 2010.
He talked about letting one’s inner light shine and put on a charming solo-acoustic show, punctuating classic Yes with funny stories about Greek keyboardist Vangelis and an autobiographical song about how he and his brother wanted to grow up to be rock stars.
“I don’t have to contend with, ‘Turn the bass down!’ And the constant problems of, why doesn’t everyone get on?” he told an interviewer.
Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.