Rick Wakeman Won’t Be Attending Yes’ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rick Wakeman has confirmed that he will not be on hand for Yes‘ long-awaited induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “I have no idea if there will be any sort of reunion,” Wakeman says via his official web site, “but whatever happens under no circumstances will I be any part of it – neither will I be attending.”

Yes will be honored with Journey, Electric Light Orchestra and Pearl Jam, among others, at the 32nd annual induction ceremony to be held on April 7 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The recognition arrived too late for the band’s stalwart co-founding bassist Chris Squire, who died in the summer of 2015.

Yes has been eligible since 1994. Wakeman says he would have been happier “if it had happened years ago, when it was really well deserved. I find it hard to come to terms with the fact that so many bands are inducted into the Hall of Fame too late in their careers after key members have passed away. Classic examples are the Who and John Entwistle, Deep Purple and Jon Lord and now Yes and there will be no Chris Squire.”

The prospect of getting all of the remaining classic-era members back together seemed shaky from the first. Wakeman shared early reservations about the induction process, and long-time guitarist Steve Howe has since expressed doubts on whether the band’s different factions will be able to patch things up for the Hall of Fame ceremony. He’s continued touring with Yes, while Wakeman mounted a well-received partial Yes reunion tour earlier this year with Jon Anderson and Trevor Rabin.

Wakeman also released an extended re-recording to The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table in 2016, and has a new project called Piano Portraits planned for this year.