Billy Sherwood
A versatile musical architect who stepped into the formidable legacy of Yes, becoming the band's steadfast bassist and a keeper of its progressive flame.
Born 1965 (age 61)·American musician·Birthday: March 14·Generation X
Biography
Billy Sherwood's career is a testament to the power of being in the right studio at the right time, with the right formidable skills. A multi-instrumentalist and producer from a young age, his fate became intertwined with the members of Yes after he produced a track for Chris Squire in the late 1980s. This connection blossomed into a creative partnership, leading to his official entry into the band's orbit in the 1990s. Sherwood didn't just join Yes; he absorbed its complex musical language, initially on guitar and keyboards before permanently assuming the bass role following Squire's death in 2015. Beyond the stage, he has been a prolific studio wizard, producing and playing on a vast array of projects for Yes alumni and crafting his own conceptual rock works, effectively becoming the central node in a continuing network of progressive rock creativity.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Billy was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Billy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Billy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the permanent bassist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock band Yes in 2015, following the death of Chris Squire.
- Produced and co-wrote the 1997 Yes album 'Open Your Eyes', marking his first major creative contribution to the band.
- Founded the progressive rock groups Circa: and Yoso, featuring other former Yes members.
- Released multiple solo albums and collaborative projects, often serving as writer, performer, and producer.
Did You Know?
He is the son of television and advertising composer Bobby Sherwood.
Sherwood was a member of the band World Trade, which released two albums of melodic progressive rock in the early 1990s.
He played nearly all the instruments on the 1994 album 'The Big Peace' by former Yes singer Jon Anderson.
He was briefly a touring member of the band Toto in the early 2000s.
“The music always tells you where it wants to go next.”
