Gary Brooker, lead singer, pianist, and founding member of the English Rock band Procol Harum, has passed away at the age of 76.
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Procol Harum shared the news of Brooker’s death on their website as his obituary reveals he had been receiving treatment for cancer and had passed away “peacefully at home.”
“With the deepest regret we must announce the death on 19 February 2022 of Gary Brooker MBE, singer, pianist and composer of Procol Harum, and a brightly-shining, irreplaceable light in the music industry,” the band writes.
Brooker formed Procol Harum in 1967 with lyricist Keith Reid as the band scored a worldwide hit with their very first single “A Whiter Shade of Pale.”
The song is one of the most commercially successful singles in history with over 10 million copies sold and has spawned more than 1,000 cover versions.
Brooker remained the sole constant in Procol Harum’s lineup throughout the years and was the only musician to appear on all of the band’s studio albums.
Outside of Procol Harum, Brooker was in high demand as a collaborator as he worked with the likes of Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, and more.
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