The Six Wives Of Henry

Rick Wakeman's "The Six Wives Of Henry VIII" is one of the landmark albums of the seventies, a critical and commercial success that has sold in excess of 15 million copies worldwide. In May 2009, Rick Wakeman finally achieved his long held dream of performing the entire album live at Hampton Court Palace…

The Six Wives of Henry VIII is the first studio album from the English keyboardist and composer Rick Wakeman as a solo artist, released in January 1973 on A&M Records. It is an instrumental progressive rock album with its concept based on his interpretations of the musical characteristics of the six wives of Henry VIII. Wakeman decided on the concept in 1972 while he toured the United States with the progressive rock band Yes. As he read a book about the wives on his travels, melodies he wrote the previous year came to him and were noted down. Musicians from Yes and Strawbs, who he performed with prior to Yes, also play on the album.

The Six Wives of Henry VIII: Live at Hampton Court Palace is a live album from the English keyboardist and composer Rick Wakeman, released through Eagle Records on 5 October 2009. The album is a live recording of the second of two sold-out concerts on 2 May 2009 at Hampton Court Palace in London…

Not only did this album help pave the way for progressive rock, but it also introduced the unbridled energy and overall effectiveness of the synthesizer as a bona fide instrument. Six Wives gave Wakeman his chance to break away from the other instrumental complexities that made up Yes and allowed him to prove what a driving force the keyboard could truly be, especially in full album form…