Nicholas Christian Hopkins (1944-1994) will always be immortalised as “Rock’s Greatest Session Man”, as inscribed on his memorial park bench in Perivale Park in Ealing, UK.
Nicky Hopkins died on 6 September 1994, at 50 years young, in Nashville, Tennessee from complications resulting from intestinal surgery related to his lifelong battle with Crohn’s disease.
I was inspired to write this Blog upon hearing my latest CD acquisition of George Harrison’s “Living In The Material World” 50th Anniversary CD set. All over the album, I’m reminded after all these years of Nicky Hopkin’s gorgeous piano contributions to this iconic album. Nicky provided a glorious velvet piano sheen to the poignant album.
In the 1990’s on a business trip, I wandered/wondered into a quaint, welcoming CD shop tucked away in a corner in Siam Center in Bangkok, Thailand. In the store, I spied both of Nicky Hopkin’s hard-to-find solo albums – “The Tin Man Was A Dreamer” and “The Revolutionary Piano of Nicky Hopkins”. I instinctively took possession of the CD albums. The shop rep was surprised that I even knew of Nicky Hopkins and even bought the CDs. He said, “They were waiting for you”.
For the record (pun), I also bought the rare Christine Anne Perfect’s “Christine Perfect” debut solo studio CD from the same record shop. Ms. Perfect is more known by her married name, McVie.
Nicky Hopkins played with the top global echelon of iconic singers and bands including John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Rolling Stones, The Who, Rod Stewart, Marc Bolan & T. Rex, Peter Frampton, Harry Nilsson, the Hollies, Joe Walsh, Graham Parker, Carly Simon, Gary Moore, the Kinks, Jeff Beck, Dusty Springfield, Carl Wilson, Belinda Carlisle, Donovan, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Cat Stevens, Joe Cocker, Art Garfunkel, Jennifer Warnes, Badfinger, Meat Loaf, Jerry Garcia, the Steve Miller Band, Carole Bayer Sager, Martha Reeves, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, the Jayhawks, Matthew Sweet, Quicksilver Messenger Service, the Move, Ron Wood, Gene Clark, Izzy Stradlin, Spinal Tap and many others. Please also read my Blog on Jim Gordon, another unsung highly talented studio sessionist, drummer extraordinaire.
“The Tin Man Was A Dreamer” album, 1973 (above image). The actual CD is in my storage facility.
“The Revolutionary Piano of Nicky Hopkins” album, 1966 (above image). The actual CD is in my storage facility.
My hard-to-find “Jamming With Edward” CD, 1972 on Rolling Stones label (above image) featuring a loose but captivating jam session amongst Nicky Hopkins, Ry Cooder, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts.
On 8 September 2018, on what would have been Hopkin’s 75th birthday, 25 years after his untimely death. a deserving memorial park bench was dedicated to Nicky Hopkins (above image) in Perivale Park, Ealing, outside London, near where Hopkins grew up,
Nicky Hopkins memorial park bench (above image).
Amon the names (inscribed behind the bench backrest) are some familiar rock names of Contributors of the Park Bench Memorial – Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, Jimmy Page, Yoko Ono, Roger Daltrey, Kenney Jones, Benmont Tench III (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) and Graham Parker.
Nicky Hopkins autobiography by Julian Dawson (above image). Do Google “Nicky Hopkins” for more accomplishments of this great music icon.
You Are Not Forgotten, Nicky Hopkins!
