Nicholas Christian Hopkins, known as Nicky Hopkins, was born on 24 February 1944 in Perivale, Middlesex, England. A child prodigy on the piano, he began playing at the age of three and later won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London. Despite suffering from Crohn's disease, which plagued him throughout his life, Hopkins became one of the most sought-after session pianists in rock music history.

In 1960, at the age of 16, Hopkins left formal education to join Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages, later becoming part of Cyril Davies's All Stars. His career as a session musician took off after he was forced to leave the All Stars due to health issues. Hopkins played on numerous landmark recordings from the 1960s to the 1990s, working with iconic bands like the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Who, the Kinks, and many others. His work with the Rolling Stones spanned from 1967's "Their Satanic Majesties Request" to 1981's "Tattoo You."

Hopkins's piano skills were featured on over 250 albums, and his contributions to songs like the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" and Jefferson Airplane's "Volunteers" are celebrated. He also played at Woodstock with Jefferson Airplane and toured with the Rolling Stones in 1972. Despite chronic health problems, Hopkins's influence on rock music is profound, and his work continues to resonate. He passed away on 6 September 1994 in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 50. In 2025, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Musical Excellence category.