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Who are the greatest keyboardists in rock history??
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We wouldn’t have groove without Professor Longhair. When we created irocku Professor Longhair was on the top of our list. Professor Longhair was a pioneer of rock piano mixing boogie-woogie, samba, calypso, jazz and rhythm and blues into his own unique style. His influence and style left an indelible imprint on the pioneers of rock and roll like; Fat’s Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Elvis. -
I went to a Ray Charles concert(Billy Preston was in the backup band) when I was 12 years old and it literally changed my life. Ray and the band played an incredible show, It had such an impact on me that I made up my mind there and then that that was what I wanted to do. I decided that night what I wanted as my career. -
I too have seen Ray Charles; twice, once up close and shook his hand before he went on stage. I was sitting right next to his piano stool in a crowd of about 300 people, pure heaven. And by the way, Professor Longhair is worth a listen, especially to anybody who has not heard him. I want to suggest everybody check-out, the late, great,Billy Powell on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s,’Street Survivors’ album, “Honky Tonk Night Time Man,” is boogie heaven. Then you have to check out his work on “Free Bird,” Live BBC 1975. This guy could do it all!
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Thanks for that! I just checked out some of his youtube clips and am pretty blown away! It really must run in the family!
I saw John Fogerty the other night at the Beacon. The show was great! And the Beacon is one of the most beautiful venues.
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My favorites in no particular order: Nicky Hopkins, Billy Powell, Billy Payne, Chuck Leavell, Dr. John, Jerry Lee (The Killer) Lewis, Billy Preston, Professor Longhair, Pinetop, Jelly Roll Morton, Ian Stewart (Stewie).
For pure technical wizardry on the keys, Keith Emerson of ELP is amazing.
Also be sure to check out the Russian girl on youtube videos – VKgoeswild. It’s cool to see rock songs interpreted in a Russian classical style. This girl sure can play.
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All worthy entries on rock keyboard’s Mount Rushmore, to be sure.
One name not yet mentioned is Jordan Rudess, formerly of the Dixie Dregs and longtime keyboardist for Dream Theater. He’s technically brilliant, and is big, fat poke in the eye to the notion of the “shrinking violet keyboardist”. He goes toe to toe with the great guitar virtuoso John Petrucci every night, yet plays with fluidity and grace.
Also on my list, in no particular order – Chuck Leavell (OK, he’s actually at the top of my list, lol!), Billy Powell from Skynard, Benmont Tench of TP and the Heartbreakers, Steve Walsh of Kansas (possibly the most underrated rock keyboardist in history), Billy Joel, British royalty Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman (of course), Dr. John. Finally, I want to mention a guy that I saw on a live DVD by surf rocker Donovan Frankenreiter – there is a keys player by the name of Eric Brigmond that gives an absolute clinic on rock and roll keyboards – great B3, piano and Rhodes playing throughout, commanding the stage with his solos at the right time and being that “wall of sound” when needed. Very inspirational.
Cheers!
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You have indeed mentioned some of the biggies here, but no mention of Johnnie Johnson or the Johnnie Johnson Trio? Listen to any Chuck Berry song and say thank you to Johnnie Johnson, his right and left hands created the rythms that Chuck parlayed into the creation of what we call today, rock and roll! Also, check out Commander Cody and his band, The Lost Planet Airmen. His song, ‘Beat me Daddy Eight to the Bar,’ is boogie heaven and his classic, ‘Hot Rod Lincoln,’ although it does not highlight his chops, marks the Commander and his band amongst the best Honky Tonk bands in America. I saw the band in the late eighties at the legendary, Palamino Club in Los Angeles and it was a night of nights! Check him out!
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Don’t forget the great singer pianists. Elton John, Billy Joel, and more recently Ben Folds. And a special mention for my favorite … Leon Russell. All have great examples of their keyboard talents as well as their songwriting and singing abilities. These guys have inspired me to keep playing for decades.
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Elton John, Billy Joel, and Leon Russell are on top of everyone’s list of great rock keyboardists but, man, Ben Folds deserves to be there also. Most rock keyboardists are musical athletes with their complex rhythms and syncopations. If so, Ben Folds is rock’s Jim Thorpe. He does it all. He plays the bass line, the drum line, the melody, and the rhythm all on the keys. A few years back, Chuck was recording in Ben Fold’s studio and Chuck was blown away. Ben Folds adds a dimension to the keyboard that no other rock keyboardist before him has done. “Rockin the Suburbs” might be our most difficult piece because the right hand melody is so tightly intertwined with the left hand groove. -
Well cool – Heartbreaker Benmont Tench will be releasing his first solo album. What I like about ol Benjamin Montgomery is the dichotomy he creates by playing in an understated, yet completely indispensable manner. He rarely plays “in your face”, but TP and the Heartbreakers would be average at best without him.
Looking forward to hearing it!
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We have been hitting it pretty good, but I am shocked that no one has mentioned the ‘ladies’ in our discussion of the greatest keyboard players of all time. So I will throw out, Aretha Franklin and Lady Gaga! Watch any Aretha conert footage from the late 60’s and 70’s and you will see that she not only unmatched as a vocalist, but plays awesome piano and everything from gospel, R&B and rock. Lady Gaga is too much, I saw her live at Yoko Ono’s 80th birthday party tour – the venue was small (The Orpheum Theater) and Gaga, played several Yoko Ono songs and played beautiful piano. Numerous Guests appeared, John Lennon’s son, Sean was bandleader and the band an eclectic mix of top notch players was only surpassed by Gaga who closed the show singing and playing to Yoko who was seated on top of the piano taking it all in!
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Johnny Johnson discovered Chuck Berry and was his life long friend and keyboardist. It’s widely believed that Johnny wrote many of Chuck Berry’s songs, including “Roll Over Beethoven”, “Sweet Little Sixteen”, and “Maybellene”. His signature licks have made an indelible mark on rock piano forever.
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Carole King was one of rock piano’s true innovators. She invented many of rock’s cornerstone rhythms and licks. She is a rock piano player in the most purest of forms.
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