{"id":798919,"date":"2026-10-11T07:16:24","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T07:16:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/798919\/"},"modified":"2026-10-11T07:16:24","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T07:16:24","slug":"jon-davison-discovered-moody-blues-when-he-married-into-the-band","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/798919\/","title":{"rendered":"Jon Davison discovered Moody Blues when he married into the band"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2023 Yes<\/a> singer Jon Davison<\/a> told Prog how family connections led to his discovery of the Moody Blues<\/a>, the prog artists he most admires and the non-prog musicians he rates highly. <\/p>\n

Where\u2019s home?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Blighty! I met my now wife, Emily, daughter of John Lodge<\/a>, on the 2019 Cruise To The Edge<\/a>, and not long after I moved to England to be with her.<\/p>\n

Earliest memory of prog?<\/p>\n

One of the counsellors at a church youth weekend retreat had a copy of Rush<\/a>\u2019s Exit Stage Left<\/a>, and he invited a few of us to stay up late and listen.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

First and last prog album you bought?<\/p>\n

My first was 2112<\/a>, but my truly classic prog album purchase was a two-on-one Yes cassette, with Fragile<\/a> on one side and Close To The Edge<\/a> on the other. Can you think of anything better?<\/p>\n

Sign up below to get the latest from Prog, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve recently gotten into King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard<\/a>. They really do weave an interesting blend of styles in such a fresh and unexpected way.<\/p>\n

Your first prog gig?<\/p>\n

Rush on their Power Windows tour at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa [in California, May 25, 1986], near where I grew up.<\/p>\n

What to read next<\/p>\n

2112: Overture \/ The Temples Of Syrinx \/ Discovery \/ Presentation \/ Oracle: The Dream \/ So… – YouTube
\n\"2112:<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

And most recent?<\/p>\n

Father John Misty in Austin. He has a dulcet-toned voice enveloped by a moody melodic sort-of indie sound, and he\u2019s quite the clever wordsmith. He\u2019s not really prog, but his music is quite imaginative and elaborate just the same.<\/p>\n

The best prog gig you ever saw?<\/p>\n

My first Yes concert, again at the Pacific Amphitheatre, during the Big Generator tour [March 1988]. I have this vivid memory of listening to And You And I from the grassy hilltop on a perfectly warm, breezy evening. I was absolutely transfixed.<\/p>\n

Where I grew up you had a fighting chance at getting a girl if you most definitely did not mention prog<\/p>\n

Your latest prog discovery?<\/p>\n

I was never really exposed to Moody Blues<\/a>\u2019 music until I met Emily and John. I\u2019ve since dived deep into their extensive catalogue and have genuinely fallen deeply in love with their dreamy, romantic music. Isn\u2019t it the best when you get into a band and they happen to have so much material to discover?<\/p>\n

Your guilty musical pleasure?<\/p>\n

I have a definite soft spot for Tom Waits<\/a> ballads, particularly those from his first album, Closing Time. My melancholy side just loves that album.<\/p>\n

Your favourite venue?<\/p>\n

The Royal Albert Hall. I\u2019ve performed there with Yes four or five times now and it\u2019s always as surreal as it was the very first time. What an atmosphere!<\/p>\n

Yes – Mirror To The Sky (Edit) Lyric Video – YouTube
\n\"Yes<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

Your prog hero?<\/p>\n

Steve Howe<\/a>. I\u2019m so blessed to be in his close company quite often and I therefore absorb so much of his musical insight and inspiration. He truly is a master: one who has an innate musical gift and who\u2019s achieved so much.<\/p>\n

Outside of music, what do you enjoy doing?<\/p>\n

Exercising in nature, and wild swimming whenever I get the chance. I\u2019m a tree hugger at heart. I try and make more effort to meditate, which definitely puts things in proper focus for me. I also thrive on attempting to satisfy Emily\u2019s almost insatiable thirst for travel. Living so close to Europe means we have quite an interesting playground within convenient reach.<\/p>\n

Ever had a prog-related date?<\/p>\n

No. Where I grew up \u2013 Laguna Beach, CA \u2013 you had a fighting chance at getting a girl if you most definitely did not mention prog in any way, shape or form! Emily just patiently smiles in remote appreciation whenever prog music comes up…<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the most important piece of prog music?<\/p>\n

Either Close To The Edge or Firth Of Fifth.<\/p>\n

Recommend a good book to us.<\/p>\n

Autobiography Of A Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda offers deep insight into a whole new world of being. George Harrison<\/a> once said he had a stack of copies and would pass them out to friends whenever one of them felt they needed \u2018regrooving\u2019. Its footnotes also inspired much of the Tales From Topographic Oceans<\/a> lyrical outline, and it was apparently the only book Steve Jobs had on his iPad.<\/p>\n

John Lodge Performs ‘Nights in White Satin’ with Jon Davison of YES – YouTube
\n\"John<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

The prog musician you would most like to work with?<\/p>\n

Steve Hackett<\/a>. Although I\u2019ve spent a little time with him and his lovely wife, Jo, I\u2019ve never had the proper chance to fully express to him my immense appreciation of his guitar playing, and for his monumental contribution toward what is best in Genesis<\/a> music.<\/p>\n

Which proggy album gets you in a good mood?<\/p>\n

Jethro Tull<\/a>\u2019s Songs From The Wood<\/a>. Great album.<\/p>\n

Your favourite prog album cover?<\/p>\n

Most likely the one Roger Dean<\/a> will design for Yes\u2019 next album! But I\u2019ve always thought Rush\u2019s cover for Permanent Waves<\/a> was quite clever. There are too many to list.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In 2023 Yes singer Jon Davison told Prog how family connections led to his discovery of the Moody…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":798920,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[96,128,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-798919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-entertainment","tag-music","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/798919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=798919"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/798919\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/798920"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=798919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=798919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=798919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}