Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) and King Crimson has died at the age of 69. Lake passed away on Wednesday (Dec 7th) from a “stubborn battle with cancer,” his manager Stewart Young says.
“Yesterday, December 7th, I lost my best friend to a long and stubborn battle with cancer. Greg Lake will stay in my heart forever, as he has always been. His family would be grateful for privacy during this time of their grief,” Young shares on social media.
https://www.facebook.com/GregLakeOfficial/photos/a.487259601314953.113340.118368008204116/1405804366127134/?type=3&theater
ELP’s Carl Palmer released the following statement about his friend and former bandmate.
“It is with great sadness that I must now say goodbye to my friend and fellow band-mate, Greg Lake,” Palmer writes.
“Greg’s soaring voice and skill as a musician will be remembered by all who knew his music and recordings 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 [ELP’s] Keith [Emerson] 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.”
“His music can now live forever in the hearts of all who loved him.”
The news comes nine months after ELP’s keyboardist Keith Emerson was found dead with a single gunshot wound to the head in March 2016.
Lake was a pioneer of the prog rock boom in the 1970s. He is best known for “The Court of Crimson King” and “I Believe in Father Christmas,” one of the UK’s most enduring Christmas hits. ELP worked together from 1970 to 1979 only to reunite in 1991 on a on-again, off-again basis. The group last performed together for their 40th anniversary in 2010.
Many celebs woke to the news and shared their condolences on his sudden passing.
Leon Russell, Prince, Greg Lake, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Lemmy Kilmister – just some of the great rockers we lost in 2016.
— Rezaul Hasan Laskar (@Rezhasan) December 8, 2016
RIP GREG LAKE: I am getting really tired of posting this meme this year. Curse you 2016! #GregLake pic.twitter.com/MRlpapya2o
— Lou Brutus (@LouBrutus) December 8, 2016
Very sad to hear of the passing of our friend legendary Greg Lake
Our thoughts & condolences are with Regina & Natasha & all the family -YES pic.twitter.com/HFXegYolCe— YESofficial (@yesofficial) December 8, 2016
Music bows its head to acknowledge the passing of a great musician and singer, Greg Lake.
— Steve Hackett (@HackettOfficial) December 8, 2016
Very sad to hear the news of the passing of my friend Greg Lake. Many wonderful memories of time spent together through the years. #RIP
— Bob Harris (@WhisperingBob) December 8, 2016