“He said, ‘The music is one thing, but we’re here to put on a show.’ And that’s what he did”: Keith Emerson’s manager wanted to ditch plans for a flying piano. Emerson proved him wrong

Keith Emerson and his flying piano at the California Jam in 1974.

Offstage, Keith Emerson was an unassuming introvert – but onstage it was another matter. ELP's former manager Stewart Young, The VIP's drummer Mike Kellie and fellow Hammond aficionado Brian Auger shared their memories of the development of Emerson’s stage persona that led to many regarding him as prog's ultimate showman.

For Stewart Young, the flying piano was a step too far. It was early 1974, and ELP’s manager had been contacted by a guy he calls “a bit of a magician,” who claimed he could put together a fantastic new stage prop for Keith Emerson, the band’s resident daredevil.