Nicky Hopkins, the Perivale-born pianist whose playing helped define the sound of 1960s and 70s rock, has been posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Hopkins, who died in 1994 at the age of 50, will be awarded the Musical Excellence Award at this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony – belated recognition for one of the most influential session musicians in the history of rock who played on over 250 albums.
Raised at 38 Jordan Road in Perivale, Hopkins trained at the Royal Academy of Music before a lifelong battle with Crohn’s disease ended his hopes of a concert career. Instead, he turned to session work and became the go-to pianist for some of the biggest names in music.
His playing can be heard on recordings by The Beatles, The Kinks, Jefferson Airplane and The Rolling Stones, for whom he contributed to Angie, She’s a Rainbow and Sympathy for the Devil. Hopkins had a rare gift: the ability to elevate a song without drawing attention to himself.
Though ill health prevented him from touring, his studio work was prolific. He spent much of his later life in the US and died in Nashville from complications following intestinal surgery related to Crohn’s disease.
In Ealing itself, his contribution has not gone unnoticed. A piano-shaped memorial bench was installed in Perivale Park in 2018, followed by a green plaque from the Ealing Civic Society on his childhood home the following year.
The Hall of Fame ceremony takes place in Los Angeles on 8 November 2025 and will stream live on Disney+. Hopkins will be inducted alongside Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, and Outkast.
