Rick Wakeman's Acceptance Speech at the 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Compleet)

[@jakegodfrey4320]

The best thing about this is seeding Geddy and Alex, not as world famous musicians, just two Yes fanatics who look like they've won a competition to stand on the stage with their favourite band, they're so happy. It's lovely!

[@richpeltier9519]

This is the best acceptance speech for anything, ever.

[@jasperjenkins7729]

Alex Lifeson says: "Hold my Beer"!! But THIS is KILLER.

[@aitsaari1481]

@@jasperjenkins7729 :) I think Alex and Rick have a lot in common ;) This is the most genuine speech ever spoken I've seen/heard. Among of course when Alex had his own on behalf of Rush ;). So genuine, old timer persons!

[@sirfultonbishop]

Too funny!

[@davidlindsay9564]

@@jasperjenkins7729 Steely Dan kills em both.

[@wordsleydave]

100% Concur!

[@abdurrahmanzulfikry9202]

Others on an Award: "Thank you, etc." Rick's : "This is an open mic night, right?"

[@MyNameIsBucket]

Other musicians: "Finally, I get to bask in the recognition I deserve for my art!" Wakeman: "TIME FOR MY TIGHT FIVE"

[@rakasin]

I never get enough of this speech

[@doughorton3635]

This is how an acceptance speech should be!

[@vartkesnadjarian4033]

A true artist who doesn't take himself seriously.

[@iz2112ay]

I like him cracking jokes while keeping his serious tone.

[@kattenbroekcom]

I like how rush is watching over one of the most important things about yes

[@KendraAndTheLaw]

rick wakeman is a natural comedian - great comic timing and delivery - fantastic!

[@rocknrollrecovery7402]

Refreshing to say the least! How many times can one thank mum, dad, the producers, the security guards, the dog...etc Great to hear it like this! Nice one Rick

[@mightyV444]

He said in a later interview this was exactly his reason, too! Helped with a bit of persuasion by Trevor Rabin :-)

[@jameslighterGTR]

Lerxst and Ged breaking up during the examination joke is terrific stuff.

[@80sPastorDude]

Alex is thinking, "Man, I thought I had the best speech ever."

[@tonycook1624]

Oh blah blah blah ........ bla bla blaaaar

[@fizgig2016]

I don't know why I never heard this before now, I'm such a big Yes fan. But damn was that ever funny! Well done, Rick Wakeman!

[@PickettMusic]

Steve Howe's face during Rick's speech tells you all you need to know about the joys of working with Steve Howe....

[@11BravoGrunt]

Steve shook my hand once when I was a kid outside the Spectrum in Philly 1977, I heard he never does that now and no pictures too.

[@hogne]

Steve Howes goes on over at least two pages in his autobiography about how much he hated Rick's speech. Made it even funnier for me.

[@PickettMusic]

@@hogne aside from it being one of best speeches in history...the fact that Howe hated it so much means: it's worth watching again and again. 😅😂😅

[@psychedelicbadger4092]

TBF it's difficult to know which has most comedic value, Rick's speech or Yes's recent albums with Howe.

[@PickettMusic]

@@psychedelicbadger4092 I sort of feel like Howe was one reason Yes would fall apart, become something different, do pretty well...Asia would come together...and fall apart....GTR would come together...and fall apart...and ABWH would come together...and fall apart...and turn into Yes Union...and Steve wouldn't like Trevor....and Yes would fall apart....etc

[@hermanhelmich]

Whenever I feel sad, bored or lonely…. This is the right medicine

[@davidnissim589]

"Does this thing go up? ...story of my life."

[@RailcarFerrostaal]

Very subtle hahahha

[@KekeElBecko]

I love Rick Wakeman, he's just brilliant

[@trenesdeboliviahd751]

It is funny how it goes from a serious speech from Steve Howe to Rick’s speech hahahah

[@awaken77]

Rick is under-appreciated standup comedian. Joke about prostate exam was the best. ROTFL!

[@HarrieWorst]

How to don't overestimate your self importance like a bloody legend 101. Epic!

[@jeffsimon9594]

Unlike the previous speaker..

[@kirk8429]

He actually did a comedy show for 8 years in England. He's been doing standup for sometime

[@tonycook1624]

He does standup in his regular music gigs - about half the show

[@ronniefranco512]

Any Rush fan knows they were the ones that enjoyed this the most.

[@ZartmoBThoughtForms]

I've been a fan of yes since I first saw them in concert in 1976, but this is the first time I've ever heard Rick Wakeman speak. Oh, my, what a funny bastard. Best acceptance speech ever.

[@tonycook1624]

If you ever had the chance to go to one of Rick's solo gigs about 1/2 the night was standup stuff

[@akent6393]

Based on this speech, I pray I get to meet Rick Wakeman one day.

[@paulhudson563]

He should be hired to do everybody's speech. What a funny guy

[@enigmasounds]

Probably my fav band of all time, so glad Rick became a pro musician and not a comedian as we would have all missed out on his musical talents.

[@MasthaX]

Yes shows should be extended for an extra half hour so Rick can crack a few jokes in between songs.

[@tonycook1624]

If you ever go to a Wakeman gig (I have many a time) - its 50% music and 50% standup - he does both :)

[@harounel-poussah6936]

Warren Cucurullo (Zappa, Duran Duran) does both, and even more as a comedian : he may have been in Star Trek, he also was in adult movies ;)

[@Setmose]

"I suffered greatly for my art . . . now it's your turn!"

[@jeffryphillipsburns]

That Elvis bit is priceless.

[@oldnwise8123]

Thanks you Rick ,, superb !

[@AmericasChoice]

All kidding aside, he gave the band the gravitas that was missing.

[@ENGlishJELLo-yk7up]

Best speech ever! Nobody cares and will remember the thank you’s and considering how long the Hall kept Yes waiting, Rick decided to seize the moment to tell jokes instead. Smart man!

[@talibe801]

ive seen Rick live and Yes live a few times,but i would love to see a standup comedy with Rick,he´s such a cool guy.

[@tonycook1624]

Rick must have had a off night then - all the Wakeman gigs I've seen have stand up routines thoughout between the music pieces

[@talibe801]

@@tonycook1624 you,ve been lucky,ive seen Rick and the english Rock ensemble live in 1984 lisbon,and i was in the front row,later in Madrid 1990,and two more times,with Yes...and he never did any jokes.

[@SuperQdaddy]

Fantastic Ric !

[@tonydardi332]

I can’t believe these guys had to wait that long to get inducted.

[@jamessollazzo4860]

joke!

[@curmudgeonextraordinaire1884]

Kansas is still waiting

[@jamessollazzo4860]

who would of known? when you wear a cape on stage , anything is possible!

[@pernordin2641]

Priceless!

[@webz3589]

3:53 alex laughing is the best

[@Pighood]

Taking notes from his comedic svengali

[@ImperialAerosolKid]

I thought well if Rick can do it I can. So I cracked about 15 similar jokes at a speech last year. The headmaster wasn't impressed and told me primary school open evenings were probably not suitable. We have three pupils in reception this year. Their parents missed the open evening.

[@GretaVanZeppelin1996]

Lmao

[@grimalkin188]

Better than most uk comedians.

[@Setmose]

That is called: "Taking the piss out of it."

[@blairnesbitt8252]

Rick Wakeman is hilarious 😂😂😂

[@pezazul2917]

Incredible. Brilliant. So icorrectness... 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@jasonlefler3456]

Priceless.

[@CrusaderX]

The Best !

[@lionheartroar3104]

Wakeman is hilarious and irreverent. He's da man!

[@chriscrilly8807]

The parents of that little girl in the background had a little 'splainin' to do afterwards, as in : "Mummy, what's a gopher?"

[@romanbanas7710]

Unbeatable

[@megasoid]

Classic!

[@romanbanas7710]

Best speech ever

[@Twirlyhead]

LOL. Steve Howe didn't get the memo !

[@mdelaubergine8930]

Brilliant

[@rael2099]

Ah, Alex Lifeson laughing his ass off. So endearing seeing jokesters delivering the irreverence to rock and roll.

[@hpatss4966]

The biggest problem with this is that Scotty Squire didn’t get an opportunity to say her piece for Chris. Damn shame.

[@andzwe]

Robbie Robertson, who almost seems annoyed that someone on stage distracts him from eating his snack, represents why an acceptance speech like this was highly needed. 0:40

[@diegogarcia-ud7ii]

i don't know but why does it always happen that when the camera pans on robbie robertson, he's always trying to eat something. look for other rrhof awards night and see...

[@andzwe]

@@diegogarcia-ud7ii To me it comes across as disinterest. He might also be hungry though, because some people skip a meal or two at home before they go to a party.

[@davehaller6477]

This is the best acceptence speech ever....

[@thefool2007]

Omg that was hysterically funny!

[@thetruthhurts6652]

That was hilarious lol

[@harounel-poussah6936]

YES' whereabouts were of high inspiration for the movie Spinal Tap... Now you know why...

[@jackhanson3333]

I heard of this just now I wasn’t sure if he’d be funny or not but seems he is pretty comical

[@jeffdawson2786]

Better sound on this one.

[@cathrynsadowski6632]

Sounds a lot like Ricky Gervaise!🤣

[@nippynoakes2563]

Rick Wakeman could have easily joined Monty Python in his day, before he became a sanctimonious tee-totalling curmudgeon, he certainly has a killer sense of humour, listen to HIS speech, forget the others, John Anderson is of course on another planet as usual; Steve Howe definitely seems bitter and twisted and clearly has an unretrievable stick up his arse.

[@shirleyhubbert5547]

Rick your funny..its sad tho they waited til Chris passed away..for this induction..

[@Maxroffe56]

I don't care who you are, that's funny!

[@lamecasuelas2]

Its almost a s Funny as having your récord presented on ice

[@GretaVanZeppelin1996]

I know but I have

[@dan_gabriel]

lol :-)))))

[@drde4010]

😂😂😂😂

[@CB-xr1eg]

3:38 you can lip read Steve Howe saying "please shut up"😂

[@kohntarkosz8983]

Bill Bruford

[@twinpiperzed7222]

What rock and roll speech should be , Irreverent 😆

[@beekay5914]

I've always loved Rick's speech, but didn't realize until now that Mrs. Squire was unable to speak because Rick took too long. Shame on him, his friend deserved better.

[@jeffsimon9594]

The snooze-fest speeches of the other members definitely could have used editing, then there would have been ample time

[@stevemorse108]

Who would ever have thought that the man who stands accused of being one of the chief reasons that there was the punk rebellion and revolution against the hyper elitism and pretentiousness of prog rock lead by those with privileged backgrounds and classical training would improvise himself as a stand up comic telling dirty jokes?

[@wilhelmorangenbaum]

Maybe all those associations you mention are pure and utter bs, invented by the press and the music magazines that fabricated all the fuzz around punk. Rick has always been like this, came from a poor and working class background, and even was homeless in the 80s.

[@fraink7]

kinda lame. i was hoping for something stupendous. But he was in Brooklin....

[@bazeye]

Finally Yes get inducted into the HoF, and then RW hijacks it to do his painful 70's pub comic routine, what a wanker.

[@tonycook1624]

Well that was the first joke - he admitted it!!

[@alexhicks5889]

Wanker? Don't be so hard on yourself.

[@bazeye]

@@alexhicks5889 "hard on"........hehehehehe

[@jamescurran6277]

That speech was more than that hack organization deserved. Jay Z is in but not Maiden? Only wankers are the people who run that joke.

[@harounel-poussah6936]

@@jamescurran6277 : Not King Crimson too...