My hero

Who: Rick Wakeman Why: Because he's awesome! Because he is the most retro yet innovative keyboardist to have ever graced rock n roll, in the sense that he incorporates technical and virtuosic classical elements into his style of playing--a la the greats (Bach, Mozart, Brahms (see: Wakeman's tribut to Brahms on Yes' "Fragile," 1971), etc.)--and combines it with cutting-edge sounds and technology. Rick is the face of prog-rock and is the one to have popularized Moog synths in rock/pop music. I love that 40 years later, now in the age of digital music and simple stage set-ups, Rick continues to surround himself with a wall of keyboards and vintage analog synths. He truly knows what's cool!