Jon Anderson was not asked to re-join Yes, says he does not talk to Squire

Legendary Yes vocalist Jon Anderson has responded to rumors that he was asked to re-join the band recently, calling them "unfounded and false."

In a press statement provided to Examiner.com Wednesday afternoon, Anderson also responded to comments Yes bassist Chris Squire made in an interview Wednesday morning in which he said he wouldn't rule out the possibility of working with Anderson again one day. “We email each other," Squire told Noise11.com. "We have a cordial relationship."

"I haven't spoken with Chris in four years," Anderson said, "and the only e-mail I have received from him in the last three years was him asking for free tickets to my show in Mesa, AZ last week - very sad, but true."

Anderson's comments came just two days after Yes announced it had hired Glass Hammer singer Jon Davison to replace vocalist Benoit David for its upcoming tour dates. David has been suffering from a respiratory ailment that forced the band to cancel several dates in December. Squire confirmed Wednesday that David's departure is permanent. In a bizarre coincidence, David joined Yes in 2008 when Anderson, a founding member of the group, was unable to commit to a tour because of severe respiratory problems.

Anderson's full statement reads:

2/8/2012 - Asheville, NC - In response to recent rumors circulating about music legend and original YES vocalist / songwriter Jon Anderson being asked to re-join YES - these rumors are unfounded and false. Jon Anderson is busy with his solo career; he is currently on tour performing solo, as well as recording new music. Jon also had this response to recent quotes in the news by Chris Squire that he is in regular communication with Jon: "I haven't spoken with Chris in four years, and the only e-mail I have received from him in the last 3 years was him asking for free tickets to my show in Mesa, AZ last week - very sad, but true."

Jon Anderson, who has one of the most recognizable voices in music, and is best known for his work with YES, Vangelis and Kitaro, as well as his innovative solo efforts, recently completed a successful tour of the east coast in the US with fellow YES member Rick Wakeman and a solo tour of South America. Jon's solo tour promises to deliver an exciting mixture of material from his prolific solo career, collaborations with Vangelis and classic YES songs, along with new compositions from his new CD 'Survival & Other Stories'.

Squire said Wednesday that he wouldn't rule out working with Anderson again in the future, but the singer expressed ambivalence toward a reunion with his former bandmates in an interview with Examiner last year. "They just disappointed me totally, and a lot of fans," Anderson said. "And they decided they wanted to go and get a guy that sounded like me and looked like me.

"It should have been done in a more gentlemanly way," he added. "We should have talked a little more about it. But they needed to make money. They were broke, and they needed to get on the road . . . That's just the way it goes."

Anderson's solo tour runs through March 19.

Jon Anderson US 2012 Tour Dates:

2/02/2012 - Mesa Arts Center - Piper Theater - Mesa, AZ - www.mesaartscenter.com

2/04/2012 - Wheeler Opera House - Aspen, CO - www.wheeleroperahouse.com

2/17/2012 - American Music Theater - Lancaster, PA - www.amtshows.com

2/19/2012 - Newton Theatre - Newton, NJ - www.thenewtontheatre.com

2/22/2012 - Anthology - San Diego, CA - www.anthologysd.com/welcome.html

2/24/2012 - Ovation Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa - Henderson, NV - www.greenvalleyranchresort.com/entertainment/ovation.php

2/26/2012 - One World Theatre - Austin, TX - www.oneworldtheatre.org/home.html

2/28/2012 - Kessler Theater - Dallas, TX - www.thekessler.org

3/01/2012 - Carolina Theatre - Durham, NC - www.carolinatheatre.org

3/03/2012 - Parrish Auditorium Miami University Hamilton - Hamilton, OH