{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Gary Pickford-Hopkins | image = Gary Pickford-Hopkins.jpg | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth year|1948}} | birth_place = [[Neath]], Wales | death_date = 22 June 2013 (aged 65)<ref name="walesonline"/> | death_place = | other_names = | spouse = Sian Pickford-Hopkins<ref name="walesonline"/> | children = 2<ref name="walesonline"/> | occupation = Musician | years_active = 1964 – 2013 | known_for = | works = [[Journey to the Centre of the Earth (album)|Journey to the Centre of the Earth]] and [[The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table]] | module = {{Infobox musical artist | embed = yes | genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[progressive rock]], [[blues rock]], [[Album-oriented rock|Adult-oriented rock]], [[classic rock]]. | instrument = Vocals, [[guitar]], [[harmonica]] | label = [[Chrysalis Records|Chrysalis]],<ref name="Battle Hymn"/> [[Reprise Records|Reprise]],<ref name="Battle Hymn"/> [[Angel Air Records|Angel Air]], Wild Turkey Music, Roconda. }} }}
'''Gary Pickford-Hopkins''' (1948 – 22 June 2013) was a [[Welsh people|Welsh]] singer, composer and guitarist whose career began in the early 1960s. He is best known as co-lead vocalist with Ashley Holt on two of [[Rick Wakeman]]'s most successful solo albums ''[[Journey to the Centre of the Earth (album)|Journey to the Centre of the Earth]]'' and ''[[The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table]]''.
==Career== Gary Pickford-Hopkins began his musical career at the age of 16 with a local [[Neath]] group called The Smokestacks in 1964.<ref name="walesonline"/><ref name="blogspot">{{cite web |url= http://musiciansolympus.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/garypickfordhopkins-vocals.html|publisher= The Musicians' Olympus|title= Gary Pickford-Hopkins (vocals) |accessdate=2018-01-18}}</ref> He soon joined [[Phil Ryan (musician)#Eyes of Blue|Eyes Of Blue]],<ref name="blogspot"/> who in 1966 won the [[Melody Maker]]'s Battle of the Bands, they have recorded two albums, [[John Weathers]] was on drums and he would later follow Pickford-Hopkins to Wild Turkey and then join [[Gentle Giant]].<ref name="walesonline"/> In 1970, he briefly joined Big Sleep,<ref name="blogspot"/> and a year later he went to play with [[Glenn Cornick]]'s Wild Turkey which recorded three albums from 1971 to June 1974,<ref name="blogspot"/> when he joined [[Rick Wakeman]]'s [[English Rock Ensemble]] to produce the live album ''[[Journey to the Centre of the Earth (album)|Journey to the Centre of the Earth]]'' in 1974 which reached number one on the [[UK Albums Chart]] and peaked at number 3 on the [[Billboard 200]] in the United States. It was certified gold in the United States and United Kingdom. He later sang on Wakeman's third solo album ''[[The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table]]''.<ref name="walesonline"/>
Pickford-Hopkins later joined Network, who split up around 1979.<ref name="blogspot"/> By 1980 he was with The Houseband.<ref name="blogspot"/> He also had a brief spell with The Broadcasters and rejoined Wild Turkey again.<ref name="blogspot"/> Pickford-Hopkins produced his only solo album ''GPH'' in 2003.
==Personal life and death==
Pickford-Hopkins first marriage was to Jan; they had twin sons. After their divorce Gary married his second wife Sian and they lived together in the village of [[Garnant]] in Wales.<ref name="walesonline"/> Pickford-Hopkins died of cancer on 22 June 2013.<ref name="walesonline"/>
==Discography==
With Eyes Of Blue :
*''The Crossroads Of Time'' (1968) *''In Fields Of Ardath'' (1969)
With Wild Turkey
*''Battle Hymn'' (1971)<ref name="Battle Hymn">{{cite web |url= https://www.allmusic.com/album/turkey-mw0000079732/credits|publisher= [[AllMusic]]|title= Wild Turkey - Battle Hymn|accessdate=2018-01-18}}</ref> *''Turkey'' (1972)<ref name="Turkey">{{cite web |url= https://www.allmusic.com/album/turkey-mw0000079732/credits |publisher= [[AllMusic]]|title= Wild Turkey - Turkey |accessdate=2018-01-18}}</ref> *''Stealer of Years'' (1996) <ref name="SoY">{{cite web|title=Wild Turkey - Stealer of Years|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/stealer-of-years-mw0000252239|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=5 February 2018}}</ref> *''You & Me In The Jungle'' (2006)
[[Chick Churchill]] *''You And Me'' (1973) with Gary Pickford-Hopkins, [[Roger Hodgson]], [[Cozy Powell]] and [[Martin Barre]].<ref name="You">{{cite web|title= Chick Churchill - You & Me|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/you-me-mw0000836912/credits|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=4 May 2022}}</ref>
With the Rick Wakeman band (English Rock Ensemble) -Studio albums : *''[[The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table]]'' (1975)<ref name="walesonline"/> *''The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table'' (2016) With rerecorded parts.
-Live album : *''[[Journey to the Centre of the Earth (album)|Journey to the Centre of the Earth]]'' (1974)<ref name="walesonline">{{cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/music/prog-rock-star-rich-wakeman-4703439|title=Prog rock star Rick Wakeman pays tribute to Welsh guitarist Gary Pickford-Hopkins|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=[[Walesonline]]|accessdate=2018-01-18}}</ref>
-Bootleg album : *''Unleashing The Tethered One - The 1974 North American Tour'' (1974)
-DVD : *''Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Live in Concert DVD'' (2002) *''Journey to the Centre of the Earth - 30th Anniversary Collectors Edition DVD'' (2016)
-Greatest Hits : *''Recollections: The Very Best of Rick Wakeman 1973-1979'' (2000)
Solo album
*''GPH'' (2003)
;Selected singles
With Wild Turkey
*"Good Old Days" (1972) Gary Pickford-Hopkins And Friends
*"Why?" (1986)
Gary Pickford Hopkins And [[Llanelli RFC]]
*"The Stradey Song" (1988)
==See also== *[[List of Welsh musicians]]
==References== {{reflist}}
===Sources=== *''Unleashing The Tethered One - The 1974 North American Tour'' (1974) : http://www.rwcc.com/artist_detail.asp?int_artistID=43 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318014015/http://rwcc.com/artist_detail.asp?int_artistID=43 |date=18 March 2016 }} *''Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Live in Concert DVD'' (2002) : http://www.rwcc.com/artist_detail.asp?int_artistID=43 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318014015/http://rwcc.com/artist_detail.asp?int_artistID=43 |date=18 March 2016 }} *''Journey to the Centre of the Earth - 30th Anniversary Collectors Edition DVD'' (2016) : http://www.rwcc.com/artist_detail.asp?int_artistID=43{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} *''The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table'' (2016) : https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/rickwakeman
==External links== * {{IMDb name|1559427}} * {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0001683361}} * {{Discogs artist|artist=Gary Pickford-Hopkins|name=Gary Pickford-Hopkins}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pickford-Hopkins, Gary}} [[Category:1948 births]] [[Category:2013 deaths]] [[Category:Deaths from cancer in Wales]] [[Category:Welsh male singers]] [[Category:People from Neath]] [[Category:People from Garnant]]