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William Scott Bruford (born May 17 , 1949 in Sevenoaks , Kent , England ), better known as '''Bill Bruford''', is an influential Drummer known for his forceful, highly precise, Polyrhythmic style. He was the original drummer for legendary Progressive Rock group Yes . Bruford was first given a Snare Drum by his parents at the age of 13, learning how to play in the Attic of his house, and continued adding more pieces until he had a full drum set. He was heavily influenced by Miles Davis , and gave Yes a jazzy musical element during his time with the band. He has been a prominent figure in the Art Rock movement since the late 1960s . He has been in many bands and collaborated on numerous projects, the most famous of which have been Yes , King Crimson and his own Fusion band Bruford . He shot to fame in the early Seventies as the original drummer for Yes, playing on their first two albums as well as the seminal LPs '' The Yes Album '', '' Fragile '' and '' Close To The Edge '', but he stunned fans by quitting the band at the height of their success in 1972 , accepting an invitation from Robert Fripp to join King Crimson, which he had wanted to join for quite some time. Part of his reason for quitting Yes was conflict with the band's Singer Jon Anderson , particularly during the recording sessions for ''Close To The Edge''. While many fellow band members nicknamed the singer " Napoleon " , Bruford has on occasion likened Anderson's leadership style to Hitler . During a session regarding the title track, Bruford memorably asked of Anderson "What does 'Total Mass Retain' mean??", raising a question about the second part of the 18-minute song. Bruford also spent a year touring with Genesis . He would rejoin Yes briefly in 1991 and 1992 for the "Union" album and tour. Bruford is perhaps most famous for having revolutionized drumming through the use of electronic drums and Melodic drumming. While Bruford has gone on to form his own jazz band, Earthworks , he continues to collaborate with many musicians, including one-time Yes keyboardist Patrick Moraz and bassist Tony Levin . Earthworks has been his primary focus in recent years, particularly after his departure from the latest incarnation of King Crimson in 1999 (which ended the band's "double trio" experiment). Bruford met his wife, Carolyn, when they were 15, marrying at 22. They have three children, Alex (born ''circa'' 1978, also a drummer and in the band The Infadels ), Holly (born ''circa'' 1980) and John (born ''circa'' 1987). Bruford, noting the alliterative qualities of both names, would sometimes wear a Boston Bruins tank top when performing in the 1970s , notable for having a large "B" on the front. NOTABLE BANDS
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