As a songwriter, I was influenced by David Bowie - a great writer. A class above everybody in so many ways. Lennon and McCartney, of course. Class stuff. David Cousins was my favorite lyricist.

since he was a child and later on he also became a director of the West London club. He purchased his first electronic keyboard at 12 years of age. In 1968 Wakeman secured a place at the Royal College of Music where he studied piano clarinet orchestration and modern music.

He returned for two years in 1995 and once more in 2002 where he was part of the band's 35th anniversary tour until its end in 2004. He has produced over 100 solo albums that have sold more than 50 million copies.