Today, we are honoring Alan and his legacy. The arc of Alan’s professional life assured him a place in history. From the famous phone call from John Lennon requesting that he join the Plastic Ono Band for a gig in Toronto the following day, to joining YES and learning the bands repertoire in three days prior to their Close to the Edge tour, Alan navigated life with ease and humility. However hallowed the company he kept professionally, he remained the down-to-earth Northerner.
In the sleeve notes of the Imagine album, Lennon wrote of him, ‘Alan White: Good Vibes’.
His work with YES spanned nearly 5 decades during which time he was involved in several outside projects and collaborations, including his solo release in 1976, and the fabled XYZ project featuring his bandmate Chris Squire and Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page.
Alan met his soulmate Gigi and they started their family. They involved themselves with charitable endeavors, using their talents and platform to raise funds for many causes. They were integral in founding Music Aid Northwest, which endowed schools in underserved communities with musical instruction and instruments. Alan played at a number of charitable events every year, and brought the same chops and professionalism to these local events as he did to the arena shows he played with YES.
Alan mentored countless young artists and in an age of hype and self-promotion, modeled instead humility and generosity.
Alan passed away a year ago, leaving fans devastated and his family bereft. We find comfort in the fact that a life as purpose driven to leave this world a better place, continues to resonate with his music, quiet kindness and integrity.
May it ever be so.
