Favorite Keyboard Players

[djdave]

Hope to have the next installment of my CRAZY list again in a day or two.
Meanwhile, I'll do a topic I don't think that's ever been covered, even on YL. Guitarists, bassists, drummers--all essential to rock, but I wanna focus on an instrument that works well in much any music genre--the keyboard, which not only includes pianos, but also organs, harpsichords, celestas, mellotrons, and many types of electric/electronic instruments, including synthesisizers.

Here's just a sample of my fave keyboard players: (alphabetically by group or soloist name)
Benny Andersson (Abba)
Alan Price (Animals)
Rod Argent (Zombies, Argent)
Dean Daughtry (Atlanta Rhythm Section)
Babyface
Brian Wilson (Beach Boys)
Kate Pierson (B-52's)
David Gates (Bread)
Dave Brubeck
Daryl Dragon (Captain & Tennille)
Eric Carmen
Richard Carpenter
Greg Hawkes (Cars)
Cerrone (disco music)
Ray Charles
Robert Lamm (Chicago)
Mike Smith (Dave Clark 5)
Nat King Cole
Dave "Baby" Cortez
Floyd Cramer
Hutch Davie ("Green Door" especially)
Jon Lord (Deep Purple & Whitesnake)
Martin Gore (Depeche Mode)
Fats Domino
Michael McDonald (Doobies)
Ray Manzarek (Doors) (Just about the BEST!)
Keith Emerson (ELP)
Georgie Fame
Christine McVie (FMac)
Al Greenwood (Foreigner)
Stan Freeman ("Come on a My House" "Delicado", many others)
Tony Banks (Genesis)
Debbie Gibson (don't laugh)
Burton Cummings (Guess Who)
Herbie Hancock
Bruce Hornsby
Philip Oakey, others (Human League)
Dick Hyman
Doug Ingle (Iron Butterfly)
Joe Jackson
Ronnie Rosman (Tommy James' Shondells)
Billy Joel
Elton John
Gregg Rolie (Journey, Santana)
Jonathan Cain (Journey, Babys)
Kerry Livgren and Steve Walsh (Kansas)
Harry Wayne Casey (KC)
Carole King
Ralf Hutter & Florian Schneider (Kraftwerk)
Jerry Lee Lewis
Ramsey Lewis
Little Richard
Barry Manilow
Sergio Mendes (Almost in my top 10 all-time)
Mike Pinder (Moodys)
Cory Lerios (Pablo Cruise)
Alan Parsons & Eric Woolfson (both in my top 10)
Chris Lowe (Pet Shop Boys)
Benmont Tench (Petty)
Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)
Billy Preston
Gary Brooker & Matthew Fisher (Procol Harum)
Mark Olson (Rare Earth)
Felix Cavaliere (Rascals)
Lionel Richie (basically solo, but some with Commodores)
Todd Rundgren
Augie Myers (Sir Douglas Quintet)
Sly Stone
Jimmy Smith
Donald Fagen (Steely Dan)
Dennis DeYoung (Styx)
Rick Davies (Supertramp)
Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads)
Roger Powell (Utopia)
Ric Wakeman (not just Yes, but great soloist)
Lonnie Jordan (War)
Barry White
Steve Winwood (maybe my all-time #1!)
Stevie Wonder
Gary Wright
Tony Kaye (Yes)

***whew***

[lora]

I think you covered it pretty well yourself there, Dave. But I'll second a few of your choices.

Kate Pierson
Richard Carpenter
Ray Charles
Fats Domino
Michael McDonald
Christine McVie
Billy Joel
Elton John
Carole King
Little Richard
Barry Manilow
Stevie Wonder

And I will have to add Stevie Nicks on here too. She also does keyboards for Fleetwood Mac, definitely moreso now that Christine is not with the band. Stevie does some pretty killer keyboards/piano on her own too (just hear her solo piano version of Rhiannon - Adam knows what I'm talking about).

[55dodger]

My top three would be
Ray Manzerak
Rick Wakeman
Keith Emerson
Others that stand out (some may have already been mentioned)

Ray Charles
Stevie Wonder
Elton John
Billy Joel
Garth Hudson – The Band
Richard Wright – Pink Floyd
Al Kooper
Doug Ingle – Iron Butterfly
Bill Payne – Little Feat
Steve Winwood
Booker T. Jones
Michael MacDonald
Rod Argent
Fats Domino
Jerry Lee Lewis
Steve Walsh – Kansas
Ken Hensley – Uriah Heep
Dennis De Young – Styx
Billy Powell – Lynyrd Skynyrd

[djdave]

55dodger said:

Booker T. Jones
Billy Powell – Lynyrd Skynyrd

I second those as well!
And I thought of Giorgio Moroder and Emitt Rhodes today.

[Ken]

A few faves :

Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
Elton John
Greg Hawkes
Christine McVie
Little Richard
Benmont Tench
Ray Manzarek

[djdave]

Though not the best singer, he played keys on MANY great 60's records, as well as his own 70's tunes.

Leon Russell.