Kansas’ Ronnie Platt sat down with Rock History Book and discussed the great voices of rock history. During the interview, the topic switched to the Yes gig with Rush’s Geddy Lee.
The Rush bassist performed with Yes in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame after the passing of Chris Squire. This caused a backlash, but Platt defended Lee during the chat.
When asked about his thoughts on the gig, he shared his curiosity about the criticism and said:
“Are you fricking kidding me? I would have given anything to be there to see that. I mean with Chris being gone, could it be a more perfect person to fill in for Chris? To me, that’s iconic, amazing. How can anyone criticize that?”
The Yes Gig Was ‘Bittersweet’
In 2017, Lee and Alex Lifeson welcomed Yes into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They gave a heartfelt speech and had a memorable moment when Lee joined the band to play ‘Roundabout,’ to fill in for the late bassist.
Later, the bassist shared his emotions about the gig during an interview. He said:
“I really did love playing that song with them. It was bittersweet for me, because Chris Squire was such a huge hero to me. and the fact that he wasn’t there was a vacuum that no one can fill properly. I felt for his family, because I know that’s all that was on their mind that day. I felt a real weight to pull it off. I practiced, as I usually do, like a crazy person, to make sure I didn’t embarrass Chris by my performance.”
You can watch the rest of the interview below.