Nicky Hopkins: Sideman to the Stars
Nicky Hopkins (1944–1994) lent his unique touch to hundreds of iconic recordings between the 1960s and 1990s. A partial list of his credits include the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Who, the Beatles (including solo projects from all four) the Steve Miller Band, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Rod Stewart, Jeff Beck, Cat Stevens, the Hollies, Carly Simon, Harry Nilssono, Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Jerry Garcia, Joe Cocker, Art Garfunkel, Badfinger, Graham Parker, Gary Moore, Donovan and Ella Fitzgerald. He is widely considered to be the greatest piano session man in rock music history.
Born in London during a bombing raid in World War II, Nicky began playing the piano at 3, being barely able to reach the keys. A slight child with striking brown eyes, Nicky was quiet but keenly intelligent. His emerging musical talent led to a scholarship from the Royal Academy in London. He battled Crohn’s disease (a digestive disorder) his entire life, which put a damper on touring with bands and led him to become the most in-demand studio piano player in London by the late ‘60s.
He left school at 16 to play with Screaming Lord Sutch, an outrageous London act in the early ’60s. During this time, England’s fixation with American blues was…
