Gary Brooker, founder, vocalist and keyboardist with Procol Harum, passed away last Saturday at home from cancer. He was 76.
Procol Harum was best known for their 1967 classic "A Whiter Shade of Pale.” The group released a statement saying, "From his earliest onstage duets with his musician father, through his youthful recording career with Southend’s The Paramounts, Gary exhibited and developed a highly individual talent. His first single with Procol Harum, 1967’s 'A Whiter Shade of Pale,' is widely regarded as defining ‘The Summer of Love,’ yet it could scarcely have been more different from the characteristic records of that era.”
Gary once commented on his 50 plus year career, saying "I never thought that I would still be doing this. Plus I don't think anybody in rock or pop or whatever we call our thing when they started out as 20-year-olds or 15-year-olds or whatever thought they'd be doing this when they were getting on a bit. So here I still am and still loving it very much."
Brooker was knighted by Queen Elizabeth with an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) back in 2003. He is survived by his wife Franky, whom he met in 1965 and married in 1968.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]