Gary Brooker

Gary Brooker – born in London, England on May 29, 1945 – was a British rock vocalist and keyboardist best known as the lead singer of Procol Harum. While the group released a series of albums that were embraced by rock, pop, and progressive rock fans, their biggest hit was their 1967 debut single “A Whiter Shade of Pale”. As a child, Gary Brooker took to music at a young age, inspired by his father, who was a professional lap steel player with the group Felix Mendelssohn's Hawaiian Serenaders. Gary Brooker studied the piano, the trombone, and the cornet, but music became much more important at the age of 11 when his father died. Using music as an escape and refuge, he eventually abandoned his schooling in order to pursue a career as a musician. Alongside his friend, guitarist Robin Trower, Gary Brooker formed R&B band The Paramounts in 1962, who shared the stage with artists such as The Rolling Stones. In 1967, he and Trower formed Procol Harum with lyricist/songwriter Keith Reid and keyboardist Morgan Fischer. The group created a stir with their debut single, “A White Shade of Pale”, which made the Top 5 in the US but rose to Number 1 in the UK, Canada, and Australia. While Procol Harum never released a record as successful as “A White Shade of Pale”, they released a series of albums that were embraced by the rock community including Shine On Brightly (1968), A Salty Dog (1969), and Grand Hotel (1973). The band split in 1977 and Gary Brooker pursued a solo career, releasing his debut album, No More Fear of Flying, in 1979. He followed that up with the solo releases Lead Me to the Water (1982) and Echoes in the Night (1985). Procol Harum reunited and released The Prodigal Stranger in 1991. The group released two more albums – The Well’s on Fire (2003) and Novum (2017) – although Gary Brooker was the only constant on all of the releases. Over the course of his career, he played keyboards for a variety of artists including George Harrison, The Hollies, Eric Clapton, Alan Parsons, Ringo Starr, and Kate Bush. Gary Brooker died of cancer on February 19, 2022, at the age of 76.

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