Progressive rock is a polarizing beast. People either worship at the altar of twenty-minute synth solos or they find the whole genre insufferable. But if you’re looking at the Mount Rushmore of the movement, Yes occupies the most complex slot. They weren't just a band; they were a rotating door of virtuosos that somehow survived five decades of ego clashes, spiritual awakenings, and radical shifts in the music industry.
So, Yes: where are they now? It’s a trickier question than you’d think because, depending on who you ask, there are technically two different legacies—and sometimes two different bands—vying for your attention.
The story isn't just about aging rock stars. It’s about a brand that became bigger than its members. Today, the "official" version of Yes continues to tour, but the lineup looks very different than the one that recorded Fragile or Close to the Edge. The passing of founding bassist and the band's undisputed anchor, Chris Squire, in 2015 changed everything. Squire was the only member to appear on every single album. When he died, the DNA of the group shifted permanently.
The Current "Official" Lineup: Keeping the Mothership Afloat
Right now, the band touring under the name Yes is led by guitarist Steve Howe. At 78, Howe is still a marvel. His fingers move with a precision that defies age, and he’s essentially taken the mantle of the band's curator. He isn't just playing the hits; he’s directing the ship.
Alongside him is Geoff Downes on keyboards. You might remember him from The Buggles ("Video Killed the Radio Star") or the supergroup Asia. Downes has been in and out of Yes since the Drama era in 1980, providing a more structured, melodic counterpoint to the wild improvisations of earlier years.
Then you have the "new" guys, though they’ve been around long enough to lose that label. Jon Davison has been handling lead vocals since 2012. Replacing a legend like Jon Anderson is a thankless task. Fans are notoriously brutal. Yet, Davison has managed to stick around by capturing that high-tenor, ethereal quality without venturing into a full-on parody.
On drums, Jay Schellen took over the throne following the passing of the legendary Alan White in 2022. It’s a heavy seat to fill. White sat there for fifty years. Schellen, who had been subbing for White during health struggles, was finally made a permanent member. Rounding out the group is Billy Sherwood on bass. Sherwood was hand-picked by Chris Squire himself before he passed, which gives him a level of "blessing" that most replacement musicians never get.
They recently released Mirror to the Sky in 2023. It’s surprisingly adventurous. It doesn't try to be 90125, and it definitely doesn't try to be Tales from Topographic Oceans. It’s just... Yes in the 2020s.
The Jon Anderson Factor: The Voice in Exile
You can't talk about Yes: where are they now without addressing the elephant in the room: Jon Anderson. He’s the voice. For many, if Jon isn’t singing, it’s just a very talented tribute band.
Anderson’s exit from the main group was messy. It started with a respiratory illness in 2008 that forced the band to cancel a tour. Instead of waiting for him to get better, the other members hired a singer from a Yes tribute band and hit the road. That hurt.
But Jon didn't stop.
Honestly, at 81, Jon Anderson sounds incredible. He’s been touring with a group called The Band Geeks, and people are losing their minds over it. Why? Because they play the classic material with an energy that some feel the "official" band lacks. Anderson is also working on new music, recently releasing True, which leans heavily into that classic 70s prog sound. He seems happy. He’s painting, he’s singing about peace and light, and he’s arguably more active now than he was a decade ago.
There’s a strange duality here. You have the "official" band owning the name and the "official" voice owning the spirit. It’s a schism that hasn't really healed, despite the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, where everyone shared the stage for a few brief, slightly awkward minutes.
Rick Wakeman’s Final Bow?
Then there’s Rick Wakeman. The man with the capes.
Wakeman is the quintessential prog rock keyboardist. He’s joined and quit Yes so many times it’s become a running joke in the industry. But recently, he’s been making some finality-themed moves. In 2024, he embarked on his "Final Solo Tour."
He’s cited the physical toll of playing such demanding music as the reason. He isn't retiring from music entirely, but the days of him lugging a dozen synthesizers across the globe are likely over. He remains a beloved figure, known as much for his grumpy-old-man humor and BBC appearances as his Hammond organ solos.
What Happened to the Other Key Players?
- Bill Bruford: The original drummer who left for King Crimson. He retired from public performance and recording in 2009. He’s since earned a PhD and written extensively about the psychology of drumming. He seems completely content to leave the stage behind.
- Trevor Rabin: The man who saved Yes in the 80s. He turned them into pop-rock juggernauts with "Owner of a Lonely Heart." After the Union tour, he moved into film scoring. If you've seen an action movie in the last twenty years—Armageddon, National Treasure, Remember the Titans—you've heard his work. He recently returned to his prog roots with a solo album called Rio.
- Tony Kaye: The original keyboardist. He popped up for the 50th-anniversary tour and has mostly stayed in the "retired but occasionally involved" lane.
Why the "Yes" Name Still Causes Conflict
The business of being Yes is complicated. When Chris Squire died, he left the rights to the name to his wife, but the operational control sits largely with Steve Howe and the current management.
There was a period where Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, and Rick Wakeman toured as ARW (Anderson, Rabin, Wakeman). For a while, they even billed themselves as "Yes featuring ARW." It was a legal minefield. They eventually stopped, largely because Rick Wakeman didn't want to deal with the touring grind anymore.
This leaves fans in a weird spot.
If you go to a show today, you’re seeing a version of the band that is very much a legacy act. They are meticulous. They are professional. But the improvisational fire of the 1970s has been replaced by a desire to preserve the "museum pieces" of the catalog.
The Reality of Aging in Prog Rock
We have to be honest: this music is hard to play. It’s not like three-chord punk where you can hide behind volume. If a Yes member misses a beat or flubs a complex time signature change—like the 7/4 sections in "Money" or the polyrhythms in "Awaken"—everyone notices.
Steve Howe has admitted that he has to practice constantly to maintain his fluidity. The fact that they are still performing "The Gates of Delirium" or "Close to the Edge" in their late 70s is a feat of athletic endurance as much as musical skill.
Misconceptions About the Band's Current Status
One of the biggest myths is that the band is "broke" and that’s why they keep touring. While the music industry has changed, Yes remains a high-grossing touring entity. They aren't doing this because they can’t pay the rent; they’re doing it because, for guys like Steve Howe, the band is their life.
Another misconception is that there is a "reunion" on the horizon.
Don't hold your breath. The relationship between the Howe camp and the Anderson camp is polite but distant. There’s a lot of history there—decades of arguments over credits, musical direction, and tour schedules. At this stage of their lives, none of them seem interested in the stress of a full-scale reconciliation.
Actionable Steps for the Modern Yes Fan
If you're trying to navigate the world of Yes in 2026, here is how you should approach it:
- Check the Lineup Before Buying Tickets: Don't just look for the name "Yes." Look at who is in the band. If you want the classic 70s vibe, look for Jon Anderson’s solo tours with The Band Geeks. If you want the polished, "official" instrumental mastery, go see the Howe-led lineup.
- Listen to the New Material: Don't just stick to Fragile. Mirror to the Sky (2023) and Jon Anderson's True (2024) offer a fascinating look at how these musicians have evolved.
- Explore the Offshoots: The members of Yes have been in so many other bands (Asia, UK, GTR, King Crimson) that the "Yes-verse" is massive.
- Support the Archives: The band has been releasing high-quality "official bootlegs" and box sets. For the real nerds, the Steven Wilson remixes of their classic albums are the gold standard for how this music should sound on modern equipment.
The story of Yes is ultimately a story of survival. Most bands from 1968 are long gone, relegated to the history books or one-hit-wonder status. Yes somehow became a genre unto themselves. Whether they are playing in a stadium or a theater, the weird, cosmic, complicated music they created continues to find an audience, even if the people playing it keep changing.
