Gary Brooker

Gary Brooker, a singer, songwriter, and keyboardist, gained his greatest recognition as the frontman of Procol Harum. His earliest band, the Paramounts, supplied every member who later appeared in that ensemble. The group debuted in 1967 with its signature success, the U.K. number one and U.S. Top Ten single “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” on which Brooker delivered Keith Reid’s lyrics atop a Bach cantata adaptation. Ten studio albums followed before the band dissolved in 1977. Brooker began his solo career with No More Fear of Flying in 1979, then issued Lead Me to the Water in 1982 and Echoes in the Night in 1985. He also served as a member of Eric Clapton’s backing band. Procol Harum reunited in 1991 to record the album The Prodigal Stranger. On February 19, 2022, Brooker died at age 76 after a fight with cancer.