The Entertainers: Jon Anderson

OUTSIDE Jon Anderson's home in central California lies a constant reminder of his Accrington roots.

Much has changed since the founder member of smash 70's group Yes left school aged 14 to fend for his family by labouring on a Huncoat farm.

Now he's 53, and the animals he tends are the horses which run freely through his sprawling two-acre garden. And the rolling hills nearby are reminiscent of the ones he left behind in East Lancashire.

But despite the blistering summertime temperatures, he feels just as comfortable in the United States as he did in rainy old East Lancashire.

"It's so funny that the place I now live is a lot like Accrington," said Jon, speaking from his home in San Luis Obispo, dubbed 'SLO-town' by residents.

"It's a very interesting part of the world, not unlike East Lancashire with rolling hills and mountains.

"We have a beautiful theatre here and I have been working on a couple of musical plays.

"I lived in LA for a few years and lived in New York but I didn't really enjoy that kind of life."

Jon Anderson continues to add to the countless millions of records he has sold throughout the world with various incarnations of progressive rock group Yes. He also enjoyed success as one half of Jon and Vangelis and various solo projects.

And tomorrow he will again be performing to people who still remember him as an aspiring member of The Warriors, the Accrington band in which Jon and his brother Tony broke their musical teeth and released the minor hit You Came Along.

The line-up of veteran Yes members Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe and Alan White will kick off a major UK tour with a date at the Manchester Apollo to promote Open Your Eyes, their first album in four years.

He added: "It's a celebration of 30 years of Yes. In fact it's like a musical. The idea is to play the music from the beginning to the last album. It's a three hour show.

"My brother Stuart still lives in Accrington. Now his kids have kids.

"They're all coming to the show in Manchester."

Jon - christened John - was brought up by Kathleen and Albert Anderson in Norfolk Street, Accrington, and attended St John's C E school in the early 50s.

Jon's sister Joy has now left Lancashire for Portsmouth and brother Tony lives on the Isle of Wight.

The singer's children from his first marriage, Deborah, 27, Damion, 25, and Jade 17, are all in England.

He misses them all but has made a life for himself with the folk of SLO-town USA and his beautiful new wife Jane, who plays on his March 2 solo album release The More You Know.

He adds: "It's a university town so it's very young thinking. There are very friendly people who live here.

"We just fell in love with the place a few years ago.

"The only thing that I miss besides my family is soccer. My team in England was Accrington Stanley. In the US, I follow San Francisco 49'ers. "Jane and I met five years ago. It feels like we have been married for thousands of years. She tours with me and sings and plays guitar.

"I am just so fortunate to have found her. You need someone to support you."

It's hard to believe that anyone could survive so many years in the music business and escape unscathed while so many have succumbed to drugs, alcohol and over indulgence.

Jon said: "I was very fortunate to stay away from that. When I started in the music business with Yes I was surrounded with these really talented musicians.

"I thought 'I have to learn how to play piano and keyboards'. I have always been too busy learning new things for anything like that. I still carry on working. I'm still a workaholic.

"It's kind of funny looking back 35 years when we first started travelling around Lancashire, doing The Cavern Club and Oasis. You would never have thought that I would be interested in making music now.

"I feel that you can achieve what you want if you are definite about your dreams."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.