Rick Wakeman - Personal Life

Personal Life

On 28 March 1970, Wakeman married his first wife Rosaline Woolford at twenty years of age, and had two sons, Oliver (b. 26 February 1972) and Adam (b. 11 March 1974). They were divorced in 1977, and he married studio secretary Danielle Corminboeuf in January 1980, in the West Indies, with whom he had one son, Benjamin (b. 1978). He had a daughter, Jemma Kiera (b.1983), with former Page 3 model Nina Carter and the two married in 1984, followed by the birth of their son, Oscar (b.1986). He had a renewal of his Christian faith, which began around the time of his marriage to Carter. They were divorced in December 2004. He had a daughter Manda (b. 9 May 1986), with his long-time friend, designer and seamstress Denise Gandrup, whom he first met in 1972. She designed many of Wakeman's stage outfits, including his famous capes.

In his twenties, Wakeman suffered three heart attacks. The first occurred after a performance of Journey to the Centre of the Earth at the Crystal Palace Bowl on 27 July 1974. In 1980 he was mis-diagnosed as having rheumatoid arthritis in his hands. He only found out in 2008 that the pain he was suffering was just due to overwork after a period of lack of keyboard practice.

A passionate football fan, Wakeman has supported Brentford F.C. since he was a child, and later on he also became a director of the West London club. After a disagreement with the board, he moved on to Manchester City F.C. but maintained his allegiance to Brentford. He was involved in the ownership of the American soccer club Philadelphia Fury in the late '70s, along with other rock celebrities such as Peter Frampton and Paul Simon.

He is a strong supporter of the UK's Conservative Party, and performed a concert in September 2004, for the benefit of the party. Wakeman has been president of the show business charity The Heritage Foundation (now administered by English Heritage). The charity erects blue plaques on the homes and/or work-places of late entertainers and sportspeople. He is also Honorary President of the Classic Rock Society, a UK-based organisation helping to promote classic and progressive rock.