John Kenneth Wetton (12 June 1949 – 31 January 2017) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He was known for his bass playing as well as his baritone voice. In 1971, he was a member of the rock band Family for a short time, before joining King Crimson in 1972. After the breakup of King Crimson at the end of 1974, he played in a number of other bands, including Roxy Music (1974–1975), Uriah Heep (1975–1976), U.K. (1977–1980), and Wishbone Ash (1980–1981).
In 1981, Wetton co-founded the supergroup Asia as lead vocalist and principal songwriter. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1982, selling ten million copies worldwide and becoming Billboard magazine's number one album of 1982. He later formed the duo Icon with his Asia bandmate and songwriting partner Geoff Downes and also had a successful solo career.
Life and career Early life and musical beginnings Wetton was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth, Dorset, where he attended Bournemouth School. His elder brother Robert was a classical organist and choirmaster. While practising organ, Robert would have John play the bass parts on a piano, since their home organ did not have a pedalboard. John recalled that during the practices, "I got to like bass lines, because Bach bass lines are incredibly interesting. So I thought, this is good, I like bass lines, that's me." Though an enthusiast of classical music since childhood, he decided to explore rock music instead in order to avoid being compared to his brother. He played bass and sang in a number of bands with Richard Palmer-James, including the Corvettes, the Palmer-James Group, Tetrad, and Ginger Man. A key early band he was in was the jazzy Mogul Thrash. After live work with Renaissance, he joined Family and also featured in various recording sessions. He has credited J.S. Bach, Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney, James Jamerson, Jack Bruce, Ace Kefford, Chris Squire, John Entwistle, Harvey Brooks, Ron Carter, and Miroslav Vitouš as musical influences.
King Crimson In late 1972, Wetton's fellow Dorset native Robert Fripp invited him to join King Crimson. The band's lineup also included violinist David Cross, former Yes drummer Bill Bruford, and percussionist Jamie Muir. Wetton also gained experience as the lead singer and songwriter. His friend Palmer-James also worked with the band as their primary lyricist. Wetton remained with King Crimson until Fripp unexpectedly disbanded the group in 1974.
After the dissolution of King Crimson, Wetton continued to work on various projects, including a tour with Roxy MusicStump, Paul – Unknown Pleasures: A Cultural biography of Roxy Music, Thunder's Mouth Press, New York, 1998, pps. 72, 154 and two albums with Uriah Heep, for whom he occasionally provided vocals as well as bass parts—examples of his vocal style can be heard on the 1976 album High and Mighty. While still with King Crimson, Wetton had been asked by Roxy Music to sit in on their auditions for a replacement bass player and give his recommendations. Dissatisfied with all the applicants, he offered to do the 1975 tour with the group himself so as to give them time to find a good bassist. In 1977, after failed attempts to reunite King Crimson and to create a new band with Rick Wakeman,"U.K. Humbled in the U.S.A.", Rolling Stone, 21 September 1978 Wetton formed U.K. with Bill Bruford. Wetton recruited Curved Air and Roxy Music keyboardist/violinist Eddie Jobson; Bruford brought in guitarist Allan Holdsworth from his solo group.
First solo music; Asia After U.K.'s breakup in 1980, Wetton released his first solo album, Caught in the Crossfire, also in 1980. Later that year, he had a brief stint with Wishbone Ash, appearing on their 1981 album, Number the Brave. In late 1981, he had a meeting with Geffen Records' president John Kalodner, who took him to task for playing bass in Bryan Ferry's backing band, feeling he should be fronting a group himself. At Kalodner's insistence, Wetton started writing with former Yes guitarist Steve Howe, with a view to forming their own band. Joined by keyboardist Geoff Downes and drummer Carl Palmer (of Emerson, Lake & Palmer), the band became Asia. Their self-titled debut album sold over ten million copies worldwide, making them a household name. Wetton worked with Asia until 1983, when he was fired (at the insistence of Geffen Records) for then-unknown reasons, but at least in part due to lower-than-expected sales of 1983's Alpha. He returned to Asia in 1985 (with Mandy Meyer replacing Steve Howe on guitar), completing the band's third album, Astra."Asia: Continental Drift?", CREEM Magazine, April 1986
In 1986, a collaboration between Wetton and Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera was released as Wetton/Manzanera. Around that time, Wetton began working with Downes and Palmer to restart Asia. Some of the material they recorded was featured on 1990's Then & Now, including the radio hit "Days Like These".
Return to solo work
In the 1990s, Wetton focused on his solo career and collaborations. He featured on the Phil Manzanera solo album Southern Cross, released in 1990. In 1995, he released his second solo album, Battlelines, which had previously been issued as Voicemail (1994) in Japan only.
In 1999, an aborted attempt to reform Asia resulted in Wetton and Palmer forming a short-lived progressive group dubbed Qango, with John Young and Dave Kilminster. Qango performed several shows in the UK and recorded a live album, Live in the Hood, before disbanding.
In the early 2000s, Wetton reunited with Downes, and the duo released several albums. In 2006, a reunion of the original Asia lineup (Wetton, Downes, Howe, Palmer) finally occurred. A studio album titled Phoenix, the original band's first since 1983's Alpha, was released in April 2008 and peaked at No. 73 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the United States.Billboard magazine, April 2008 They issued two more studio albums, Omega (2010) and XXX (2012), before Howe departed in January 2013 to focus on Yes. With new guitarist Sam Coulson, Asia released Gravitas in March 2014.
In 2013, Wetton guested on the album Grandine il vento by Renaissance, with whom he had played live 42 years before. In the same year, he toured with American Idol finalist Leslie Hunt's group District 97, based in Chicago, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the King Crimson album Larks' Tongues in Aspic.
Wetton also worked extensively as a session musician with artists including Brian Eno (appearing on Here Come the Warm Jets), Bryan Ferry, and Ayreon.
Death Wetton died in his sleep from complications of colorectal cancer at the Macmillan Unit of Christchurch Hospital in Christchurch, Dorset, on 31 January 2017, at the age of 67. He was surrounded by his wife, son, brother, and mother.
Geoff Downes said: "It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have to report we have lost my dearest friend, brother, bandmate and long term musical collaborator [...] He will be remembered as one of the world's finest musical talents, and I for one of many was wholly blessed by his influence [...] Life will not be the same without him. And words are not really enough to describe the loss I feel right now.
Billy Sherwood, who was Wetton's producer, co-songwriter, and co-performer on his 2011 solo album, Raised in Captivity, replaced him in Asia. On 17 June 2017, Asia performed a special concert in Wetton's memory, titled An Extraordinary Life (full title: An Extraordinary Life – An Interactive Celebration of the Life & Music of John Wetton), in reference to the eponymous song from the 2008 Asia album, Phoenix; fan-submitted performances were shown on a large video screen above the stage. Some King Crimson songs were also performed at the event.
Asteroid 72802 Wetton, discovered by Marc Buie at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona in 2001, was named in his memory. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 18 May 2019 ().
Influence Artists who have cited Wetton as an influence or have expressed their admiration for him include Billy Sheehan, Juan Alderete of the Mars Volta and Racer X, Michael Sweet of Stryper, Ron Anderson, Kevin Feazey of the Fierce and the Dead, and Joseph D. Rowland of Pallbearer. After Wetton's death, Eric Clapton published a short instrumental tribute entitled "For John W."
Band timeline
Mogul Thrash (1971) Gordon Haskell (1971) Family (1971–1972) Larry Norman (1972) King Crimson (1972–1974) Roxy Music (1974–1975) Uriah Heep (1975–1976) Bryan Ferry (1976–1977) U.K. (1977–1980; 2011–2015) Jack-Knife (1979) Wishbone Ash (1980) Solo (1980–2017, his death) Asia (1981–1983; 1984–1986; 1989–1991; 2006–2017, his death) Qango (1999–2000) Wetton Downes (2002; 2005–2009)
Discography Solo Studio albums YearTitleLabel1980Caught in the CrossfireE'G / Polydor Records1988Chasing the Deer (soundtrack EP)Blueprint1994Voice Mail / Battle LinesPony Canyon / Magnetic Air Records1997ArkangelEagle Records2000Welcome to Heaven / SinisterAvalon Records2003Rock of FaithGiant Electric Pea2011Raised in CaptivityFrontiers Records
Live albums YearTitleLabel1995Chasing the Dragon (Live in Japan)Eclipse Records1996Akustika: Live in AmericaBlueprint1998Live in Tokyo 1997Hazy Monet (Live in New York City USA, 27 May 1997)1999Nomansland (Live in Poland)Giant Electric PeaSub Rosa (Live in Milan 5 July 1998)Blueprint2000Live at the Sun Plaza Tokyo 19992002One Way or Another (with Ken Hensley)Classic Rock LegendsMore Than Conquerors (with Ken Hensley) (CD/DVD)2003Live in Argentina 1996Trade Mark of Official QualityLive in Stockholm 1998BlueprintLive in Osaka 1997Trade Mark of Official QualityLive in the Underworld (CD & DVD)Classic Rock Legends2004AmataMetal Mind RecordsAgenda2009Amorata (DVD)2014One More Red Night – Live in Chicago (with District 97)Primary Purpose2015Live via SatelliteNew York Minute (with Les Paul Trio)2024Concentus – The John Wetton Live Collection Volume One2025Concentus II – The John Wetton Live Collection Volume Two
Compilations YearTitleLabel1987King's Road, 1972–1980E'G / Virgin Records2001AnthologyNMC2002...Caught in the Crossfire...Digimode Entertainment UK2015The Studio Recordings Anthology2023John Wetton an Extraordinary Life – The Solo AlbumsSpirit of Unicorn Music
Collaborations YearTitleLabel1987Wetton/Manzanera (with Phil Manzanera)Geffen Records1998Monkey Business 1972–1997 (with Richard Palmer-James)Blueprint
As band member {| class="wikitable sortable" !Years !Bands !Titles !Notes |- | rowspan="2"|1971 |Mogul Thrash |Mogul Thrash
| rowspan="2" |Family |Fearless | UK No. 14, US No. 177 |- |1972 |Bandstand |UK No. 15, US No. 183 |- |1973 | rowspan="9" |King Crimson |Larks' Tongues in Aspic |UK No. 20, US No. 61 |- | rowspan="2"|1974 |Starless and Bible Black |UK No. 28, US No. 64 |- |Red |UK No. 45, US No. 66 |- |1975 |USA |Live, recorded June 1974 |- |1992 |The Great Deceiver |Live, recorded 1973–1974 |- |1997 |The Night Watch |Live, recorded 23 November 1973 |- |2012 |Larks' Tongues in Aspic (box set)
|2013 |The Road to Red (box set)
|2014 |Starless (box set)
|1975 | rowspan="2" |Uriah Heep |Return to Fantasy |UK No. 7, US No. 85 |- | rowspan="2"|1976 |High and Mighty |UK No. 56, US No. 161 |- |Roxy Music |Viva! |UK No. 6, US No. 81 |- |1978 | rowspan="7" |U.K. |U.K. |UK No. 43 |- | rowspan="2"|1979 |Danger Money |US No. 45 |- |Night After Night |US No. 109 |- |1999 |Concert Classics, Vol. 4 |Live, recorded 1978 |- |2013 |Reunion – Live in Tokyo |Live CD & DVD, recorded 2011 |- |2015 |Curtain Call |Live CD & DVD, recorded 2013 |- |2016 |UK: Ultimate Collector's Edition'''
|1979 |Jack-Knife |I Wish You Would| |- |1981 |Wishbone Ash |Number the Brave|UK No. 61 |- |1982 | rowspan="15" |Asia |Asia|UK No. 11, US No. 1 |- |1983 |Alpha|UK No. 5, US No. 6 |- |1985 |Astra|UK No. 68, US No. 67 |- |1990 |Then & Now|US No. 114 |- |1991 |Live in Moscow 1990|Live |- |2007 |Fantasia: Live in Tokyo|Live |- |2008