Anderson dropped the 'h' from his first name in 1970. He remained a fan of the club, and was a ball boy and mascot for the team for one year. A keen football fan, he tried to pursue a career at Accrington Stanley F.C., but at 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) tall, he was turned down because of his frail constitution. At fifteen, Anderson left school after his father became ill and took up work on a farm, as a lorry driver transporting bricks, and as a milkman to help support the family. There, he made a tentative start to a musical career, playing the washboard in Little John's Skiffle Group who performed songs by Lonnie Donegan, among others. He was not a strong academic, and remembered he 'was always getting into trouble for messing around and singing too loud'.

John's School where he organised daily football matches during lunch break. As a youngster, Anderson became a fan of several musicians, including Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran, the Everly Brothers, and Jon Hendricks. Anderson grew up on Norfolk Street with brothers Tony and Stuart, and sister Joy. Anderson said they named him after an English singer who toured as 'John Roy the Melody Boy' and the Scottish name Royston. Together they became county champions in ballroom dancing, winning several awards. His father Albert was from Glasgow, Scotland, and served in the army in the entertainment division and later worked as a salesman his mother Kathleen was of Irish and French ancestry and worked in a cotton mill, cotton being the biggest export from Lancashire at the time. John Roy Anderson was born on 25 October 1944 in Accrington, Lancashire, England. 2.6 2010–present: Solo work, collaborations, Yes feat.2.4 1990–2004: Return to Yes and solo career.2.3 1980–1990: Solo career, return to Yes, and ABWH.2.2 1968–1980: Forming Yes and start of solo career.2.1 1962–1968: The Warriors and early singles.In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Yes. Anderson became an American citizen in 2009. Īnderson released his first solo album, Olias of Sunhillow, in 1976, while still a member of Yes, and subsequently released 14 more albums as a solo artist. He has also appeared on albums by King Crimson, Tangerine Dream, Iron Butterfly, Milton Nascimento, Battles, Mike Oldfield and Kitaro. Anderson was also a member of Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman.Īnderson is also noted for his solo career and collaborations with other artists, including Vangelis as Jon and Vangelis, Roine Stolt as Anderson/Stolt, and Jean-Luc Ponty as AndersonPonty Band. He was a member of the band across three tenures until 2008. John Roy Anderson (born 25 October 1944), known professionally as Jon Anderson, is a British-American singer and songwriter best known as the former lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes, which he formed in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire.

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