English singer and pianist (1945?2022)
Gary Brooker
MBE
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Brooker in 2018
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Born
| (
1945-05-29
)
29 May 1945
London
, England
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Died
| 19 February 2022
(2022-02-19)
(aged 76)
Surrey
, England
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Genres
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Occupation(s)
| - Musician
- singer
- songwriter
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Instrument(s)
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Years active
| 1962?2022
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Labels
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Formerly of
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Musical artist
Gary Brooker
MBE
(29 May 1945 ? 19 February 2022) was an English singer and pianist, and the founder and lead singer of the rock band
Procol Harum
.
Early life
[
edit
]
Born in
Hackney Hospital
, East London, on 29 May 1945,
[1]
Brooker grew up in Hackney before the family moved out to
Middlesex
(
Bush Hill Park
and then to nearby
Edmonton
).
His father Harry Brooker was a professional musician, playing steel guitar with
Felix Mendelssohn's Hawaiian Serenaders
, and as a child Brooker learned to play piano,
cornet
, and
trombone
.
In 1954 the family moved to the seaside resort of
Southend-on-Sea
, Essex, where Brooker attended
Westcliff High School for Boys
.
His father died of a heart attack when Gary was 11 years old, forcing his mother to work in order to make ends meet, while Brooker himself took on a paper-round.
[6]
When he left school, he went on to
Southend Municipal College
to study zoology and botany but dropped out to become a professional musician.
Career
[
edit
]
Brooker founded
the Paramounts
in 1962 with his guitarist friend,
Robin Trower
.
The band gained respect within the burgeoning 1960s British
R&B
scene, which yielded
the Beatles
,
the Animals
,
the Spencer Davis Group
,
the Rolling Stones
, and many others. The Rolling Stones, in particular, were Paramounts fans, sharing the stage with them several times in the early 1960s.
[9]
In 1966, Brooker founded Procol Harum with his friend
Keith Reid
.
"
A Whiter Shade of Pale
" is the worldwide hit for which Procol Harum is best known, but Brooker's melancholic vocals and emotive, eclectic piano playing were a key part of the band's musical mix.
[11]
In the early years Brooker,
Hammond organist
Matthew Fisher
, and Trower were the guiding musical forces behind the band, but after disparities in style became too much and Fisher and Trower left, Brooker was the clear leader.
[12]
[13]
Brooker started a solo career and released the album
No More Fear of Flying
in 1979.
[14]
The same year, Brooker joined friend and neighbour
Eric Clapton
's band. With Brooker in the lineup, they released the studio album
Another Ticket
.
[15]
Clapton fired the entire band in 1981, but he and Brooker remained good friends afterwards, and were for many years neighbours in the
Surrey Hills
. Brooker joined Clapton for several one-off benefit gigs over the years. Brooker sang lead vocal on the
Alan Parsons Project
song "Limelight", on their 1985 album,
Stereotomy
. Brooker sang the lead vocal of the song "No News from the Western Frontier", a single taken from the album
Hi-Tec Heroes
by the Dutch performer
Ad Visser
.
[16]
A new incarnation of Procol Harum, led by Brooker, continued touring the world, celebrating its 40th anniversary in July 2007 with two days of musical revels at
St John's, Smith Square
, in London. Brooker also toured with
Ringo Starr
's All-Starr Band in 1997 and 1999,
[17]
[18]
and he was also a member of
Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings
for several years, appearing on three of their albums and touring with the band.
[19]
On 28 September 1996, as the Gary Brooker Ensemble, he organised a charity concert to raise funds for his local church, St Mary and All Saints, in Surrey. The resulting live CD of the concert,
Within Our House
, originally released on a fan club CD in a limited run of 1000 units, later became a collectable recording. His guests and supporting artists included Dave Bronze,
Michael Bywater
,
Mark Brzezicki
, and
Robbie McIntosh
.
[20]
Also in 1996, Brooker appeared in the
Alan Parker
film adaptation
of
Andrew Lloyd Webber
's
Evita
starring
Madonna
,
Jonathan Pryce
, and
Antonio Banderas
. Playing the part of
Juan Atilio Bramuglia
, he sang the song "Rainbow Tour" with
Peter Polycarpou
and Antonio Banderas. Brooker said that his greatest single earning in his career was from his appearance in the film.
[6]
Brooker contributed to
George Harrison
's albums
All Things Must Pass
(1970),
Somewhere in England
(1981) and
Gone Troppo
(1982).
[21]
On 29 November 2002 he was among musicians and singers participating in the Harrison tribute concert,
Concert for George
, at which he sang lead vocals on their version of "
Old Brown Shoe
".
[22]
In April 2005, as part of the Gary Brooker Ensemble, he played a sold out charity concert at
Guildford Cathedral
in aid of the
tsunami
appeal, playing a mixture of Procol Harum and solo songs and arrangements of classical and spiritual songs. His guests and supporting artists included
Andy Fairweather Low
and
Paul Jones
(ex-
Manfred Mann
).
[23]
On 28 October 2009, Brooker was presented with a
BASCA
in recognition of his unique contribution to music.
[24]
In 2011 he organised and performed in a concert at his home Wintershall, in
Bramley, Surrey
, in aid of the charity HASTE (Heart and Stroke Trust Endeavour). His guest musicians included
Eric Clapton
,
Jeff Beck
, Andy Fairweather Low,
Georgie Fame
, and
Lulu
.
[25]
[26]
In May 2012, Procol Harum were forced to cancel the remainder of their dates in South Africa after Brooker fractured his skull following a fall in his hotel room in
Cape Town
.
[27]
The fall came on Brooker's 67th birthday. The band was part of the British Invasion Tour of South Africa along with
the Moody Blues
and
10cc
.
[28]
Brooker again fell injuring himself, during the interval of a Procol Harum concert at London's
Royal Festival Hall
in March 2017. Returning to the stage after a longer than expected interval, Brooker's head was bandaged and it was later discovered that he had broken a finger.
[29]
However, they continued touring until 2019, playing their final gig in Switzerland.
[30]
Personal life
[
edit
]
In July 1968, Brooker married Francoise Riedo ("Franky"), a Swiss
au pair
, whom he met circa 1965. The couple had no children.
[31]
[6]
Brooker was a supporter of the
Countryside Alliance
and played in concerts to raise funds for the organisation.
[32]
On 14 June 2003, he was appointed a
Member of the Order of the British Empire
(MBE) in the
2003 Queen's Birthday Honours
, in recognition of his charitable services.
[33]
Brooker died from cancer at his home in Surrey on 19 February 2022, at the age of 76.
[34]
[35]
A memorial concert was held in Guildford on 4 December 2023 with a number of top musician friends on stage (Paul Carrack, Mike Rutherford, Roger Taylor and Andy Fairweather-Low amongst them) and others (Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Tom Jones, Nick Mason & Elton John) sending video tributes. Eric Clapton was unable to play but sent an opening message to the capacity crowd. The evening was professionally videoed in aid of The Royal Marsden Hospital and a
Parkinson's
charity.
[36]
"A Whiter Shade of Pale" authorship lawsuit
[
edit
]
In 2005, former Procol Harum organist
Matthew Fisher
filed suit in the
High Court
against Brooker and his publisher, claiming that he co-wrote the music for the song.
[37]
Fisher won the case on 20 December 2006 but was awarded 40% of the composers' share of the music copyright, rather than the 50% he was seeking and was not granted royalties for the period before 2005.
[38]
Solo discography
[
edit
]
Studio albums
[
edit
]
- 1979:
No More Fear of Flying
(AUS #94)
[39]
- 1982:
Lead Me to the Water
[40]
- 1985:
Echoes in the Night
[41]
Live album
[
edit
]
- 1996:
Within Our House
[42]
Singles
[
edit
]
- 1979: "Savannah"
- 1979: "Say It Ain't So Joe"
- 1979: "No More Fear of Flying"
- 1980: "Leave The Candle"
- 1982: "Cycle (Let It Flow)"
- 1982: "Low Flying Birds"
[44]
- 1982: "The Angler"
[45]
- 1984: "The Long Goodbye"
- 1985: "Two Fools in Love"
- 1987: "No News from the Western Frontier" (single in the Netherlands, taken from
Ad Visser
's album
Hi-Tec Heroes
)
[46]
Contributor
[
edit
]
- 1970:
All Things Must Pass
(George Harrison) ? piano
[47]
- 1971:
Distant Light
(The Hollies) ? organ on track 11, "Long Dark Road"
[48]
- 1975:
Peter and the Wolf
(Jack Lancaster and Robin Lumley, producers) ?
synthesizer
- 1978:
Juppanese
(
Mickey Jupp
? keyboards, organ, piano, producer (side 2)
[49]
- 1978:
Five Three One ? Double Seven O Four
(The Hollies) ? vocals on track 4, "Harlequin"
[50]
- 1981:
Another Ticket
(Eric Clapton) ? track 8, "Catch Me If You Can"
[51]
- 1985:
Stereotomy
(Alan Parsons Project) ? lead vocals on track 4, "Limelight"
[52]
- 1993:
The Red Shoes
(
Kate Bush
) ? Hammond on track 2, "And So Is Love", track 9, "Constellations of the Heart" and track 12, "You're the One"
[53]
- 1999:
Drivers Eyes
(
Ian McDonald
) ? track 11, "Let There Be Light"
[54]
- 2003:
Concert for George
(Memorial concert for
George Harrison
)
[55]
- 2005:
Aerial
(
Kate Bush
) ? organ, vocals
[56]
References
[
edit
]
Citations
- ^
"Gary Brooker, MBE"
. Procol Harum
. Retrieved
7 May
2016
.
- ^
a
b
c
Wright, John (24 January 2016).
"Gary Brooker: 'Whiter Shade of Pale legal battle probably cost me £1m in fees alone'
"
.
The Telegraph
.
Telegraph Media Group
. Retrieved
21 May
2017
.
- ^
Greene, Andy (22 February 2022).
"Procol Harum Frontman Gary Brooker Dead at 76"
.
Rolling Stone
. Retrieved
23 February
2022
.
- ^
"Gary Brooker: a keyboard-centric interview from 1978"
.
www.procolharum.com
.
- ^
Pareles, Jon (23 February 2022).
"Gary Brooker, Singer for Procol Harum, Dies at 76"
.
The New York Times
.
- ^
"Broken Barricandes"
.
www.procolharum.com
.
- ^
No More Fear of Flying ? Gary Brooker | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic
, retrieved
22 February
2022
- ^
Another Ticket ? Eric Clapton | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic
, retrieved
22 February
2022
- ^
Willman, Chris (22 February 2022).
"Procol Harum's Gary Brooker, Singer and Co-Writer of 'A Whiter Shade of Pale,' Dies at 76"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
24 February
2022
.
- ^
"Ringo Starr And His All Starr Band"
.
www.victorbaissait.fr
. Retrieved
22 February
2022
.
- ^
"RingoTour.com"
.
ringotour.com
. 25 January 1998. Archived from
the original
on 25 January 1998
. Retrieved
22 February
2022
.
- ^
"Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings Biography, Songs, & Albums"
.
AllMusic
. Retrieved
22 February
2022
.
- ^
Within Our House ? Gary Brooker | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic
, retrieved
22 February
2022
- ^
"Gary Brooker | Credits"
.
AllMusic
. Retrieved
22 February
2022
.
- ^
Kanis, Jon (December 2012).
"I'll See You in My Dreams: Looking Back at the Concert for George"
.
sandiegotroubadour.com
. Retrieved
22 February
2022
.
- ^
"Gary Brooker Ensemble, Guildford, 16 April 2005"
.
procolharum.com
.
- ^
"36th Annual Gold Badge Awards"
.
www.songlink.com
. Retrieved
4 April
2019
.
- ^
"ERIC CLAPTON HEADLINES CHARITY CCONCERT AT WINTERSHALL WITH BAND DU LAC"
. whereseric.com. 5 June 2011.
- ^
"Gary Brooker / Band du Lac / Wintershall 2011 / Heidi Widmer (5)"
.
procolharum.com
.
- ^
"Rock legend Gary suffers 'very serious' head injury"
.
Echo
. 12 June 2012.
- ^
Williams, Murray (31 May 2012).
"Rock star cracks skull in Cape Town"
.
Daily News
.
- ^
Sexton, Paul (4 March 2017).
"Review: Gary Brooker Heroic As Procol Harum Triumph"
.
- ^
Savage, Mark (22 February 2022).
"Procol Harum singer Gary Brooker dies at 76"
.
BBC News
. Retrieved
22 February
2022
.
- ^
"The 'blushing bride' gets a whiter shade of pale"
.
Sunday Mirror
. London. 14 July 1968
. Retrieved
26 May
2017
.
- ^
"Bryan Ferry to play Countryside Alliance Benefit Concert"
. Roxyrama.com. Archived from
the original
on 2 December 2018
. Retrieved
3 April
2015
.
- ^
"No. 56963"
.
The London Gazette
(1st supplement). 14 June 2003. p. B15.
- ^
Greene, Andy (22 February 2022).
"Procol Harum Frontman Gary Brooker Dead at 76"
.
Rolling Stone
. Retrieved
22 February
2022
.
- ^
Pareles, Jon (23 February 2022).
"Gary Brooker, Singer for Procol Harum, Dies at 76"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
23 February
2022
.
- ^
"Remembering Gary Brooker"
.
Beyond the Pale
. Retrieved
27 December
2023
.
- ^
"A Whiter Shade of Pale authorship lawsuit"
. Retrieved
21 September
2006
.
- ^
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Organist wins Procol Harum battle
.
- ^
Kent, David
(1993).
Australian Chart Book 1970?1992
(illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 46.
ISBN
0-646-11917-6
.
- ^
"Lead Me to the Water ? Gary Brooker"
– via www.allmusic.com.
- ^
"Echoes in the Night ? Gary Brooker"
– via www.allmusic.com.
- ^
"Within Our House ? Gary Brooker"
– via www.allmusic.com.
- ^
"Low Flying Birds"
– via www.youtube.com.
- ^
"The Angler"
– via www.youtube.com.
- ^
"No News from the Western Frontier ? Gary Brooker and Ad Visser"
.
www.procolharum.com
. Retrieved
24 February
2022
.
- ^
"What 'All THings Must Pass' songs did Gary Brooker contribute to?"
.
www.procolharum.com
.
- ^
"Another Brooker / Hollies connection?"
.
www.procolharum.com
.
- ^
"Juppanese ? Mickey Jupp"
– via www.allmusic.com.
- ^
"Five Three One ? Double Seven O Four ? The Hollies"
– via www.allmusic.com.
- ^
"Another Ticket ? Eric Clapton"
– via www.allmusic.com.
- ^
"Stereotomy ? Alan Parsons, The Alan Parsons Project"
– via www.allmusic.com.
- ^
"The Red Shoes ? Kate Bush"
– via www.allmusic.com.
- ^
"Driver's Eyes ? Ian McDonald"
– via www.allmusic.com.
- ^
"Concert for George ? Original Soundtrack"
– via www.allmusic.com.
- ^
"Aerial ? Kate Bush"
– via www.allmusic.com.
Sources
External links
[
edit
]
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Studio albums
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Live albums
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As Liquorice John Death
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Songs
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Related articles
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International
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National
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Artists
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People
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