With files from RollingStone.com by Kory Grow, from
King Crimson singer-bassist remembered as prog rock pioneer
Greg Lake, a singer and multi-instrumentalist who helped propel prog rock into the mainstream as a member of Emerson, Lake and Palmer and King Crimson, died Tuesday. His manager told the BBC he had recently had "a long and stubborn battle with cancer"; the news comes nine months after the death of his bandmate, Keith Emerson. He was 69.
"It is with great sadness that I must now say goodbye to my friend and fellow bandmate, Greg Lake," Carl Palmer wrote in a statement. "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."
As a lyricist and vocalist, Lake helped define prog rock's flair for introspection with a dash of fantasy. He sang with clarity and confidence, making his voice a singular force among his and his fellow musicians' experimentation. Whether playing bass or guitar, as he often did with Emerson, Lake and Palmer, he wrote in a way that allowed for his bandmates to build vast, intricate soundscapes. He was a skillful player whose guitar playing, in particular, added depth to some of ELP's grand classical experiments, such as their rock interpretation of Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
King Crimson singer-bassist remembered as prog rock pioneer
"It is with great sadness that I must now say goodbye to my friend and fellow bandmate, Greg Lake," Carl Palmer wrote in a statement. "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."
As a lyricist and vocalist, Lake helped define prog rock's flair for introspection with a dash of fantasy. He sang with clarity and confidence, making his voice a singular force among his and his fellow musicians' experimentation. Whether playing bass or guitar, as he often did with Emerson, Lake and Palmer, he wrote in a way that allowed for his bandmates to build vast, intricate soundscapes. He was a skillful player whose guitar playing, in particular, added depth to some of ELP's grand classical experiments, such as their rock interpretation of Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
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