The rock world has been dealt another blow — Greg Lake died Wednesday, December 7th, 2016, from cancer at age 69.
Lake is the second member of Emerson, Lake and Palmer to die this year, following the suicide of Keith Emerson in March.
The singer, bass player, guitarist and producer first gained notoriety as a member of King Crimson, which he formed with his friend Robert Fripp in the late ’60s. Lake left after their debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, to form Emerson Lake and Palmer, although he sang on King Crimson’s second album, In the Wake of Poseidon.
Lake was credited with writing such classics as “Lucky Man,” “From the Beginning,” “Watching Over You” and “I Believe in Father Christmas.”
After ELP went their separate ways, Greg worked on his own and with Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, Asia, Ian Anderson, Keith Emerson, Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, The Who, Procol Harum’s Gary Booker, Gary Moore and Trans-Siberian Orchestra. There was also another version of ELP with drummer Cozy Powell filling in the P slot in place of Carl Palmer.
In 2012, Lake published his autobiography, Lucky Man, and followed it with an autobiographical tour, Songs of a Lifetime.
Carl Palmer issued a statement that reads, “It is with great sadness that I must now say goodbye to my friend and fellow bandmate Greg Lake. Greg’s soaring voice and skill as a musician will be remembered by all who knew his music and recordings he made with ELP and King Crimson. I have fond memories of those great years we had in the 1970s and many memorable shows we performed together. Having lost Keith this year as well, has made this particularly hard for all of us. As Greg sang at the end of Pictures at an Exhibition, “death is life.” His music can now live forever in the hearts of all who loved him.”
To read more about Greg Lake, here is his Wikipedia page.
Here is the video for “I Believe in Father Christmas”. Although it is often categorised as a Christmas song that was not Lake’s intention. Lake wrote the song in protest at the commercialization of Christmas. The song was recorded in 1974 and released separately from ELP in 1975
Photo: YouTube/eyesonthedemise2
