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Today we heard the sad news that Gary Brooker has died last Saturday, February 19, 2022. Brooker was a great singer and composer. We all remember his ’A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ with his group Procol Harum. We remember him on our TopPop channel. Rest in peace, Gary. Gary Brooker, the lead singer of the rock band Procol Harum, whose 1967 hit A Whiter Shade of Pale mesmerised baby boomer fans with its psychedelic melancholy, has died at the age of 76. The pianist, composer and lyricist as well as frontman for the band had been treated for cancer. He died peacefully at home at the weekend. A statement on Procol Harum’s website described Brooker as “a brightly shining, irreplaceable light in the music industry”. It added: “Gary exhibited and developed a highly individual talent. His first single with Procol Harum, 1967’s A Whiter Shade of Pale, is widely regarded as defining the ‘summer of love’, yet it could scarcely have been more different from the characteristic records of that era …. “Gary’s voice and piano were the single defining constant of Procol’s 50-year international concert career. Without any stage antics or other gimmicks he was invariably the most watchable musician in the show.” Gary Brooker MBE (29 May 1945- 19 February 2022) is an English singer, songwriter, pianist and founder and lead singer of the rock band Procol Harum. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours on 14 June 2003, in recognition of his charitable services. In 1966, Brooker founded Procol Harum with his friend Keith Reid. “A Whiter Shade of Pale“ was 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 Procol’s musical mix for the entire course of the band’s career. 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 until the band broke up in 1977. Brooker started a solo career and released the album ’No More Fear of Flying’ in 1979. Watch our great music videos ❯ More TopPop? Subscribe here ❯ More info on Wikipedia ❯ Broadcast date: 8 November 1974 This is to let you know that the video recording of the video clip was originally recorded by AVROTROS Broadcasting. AVROTROS Broadcasting hereby warrants and represents that it is the sole and exclusive owner of the physical film and/or videotape footage in this video clip. The performance of the artist(s) in the clip was filmed and recorded with the written consent of the artist(s) and their representatives. AVROTROS is a Dutch radio and television broadcaster, founded in 2014 from a merger of AVRO and TROS. From January 1st, 2014 the name of the merged broadcaster was used in joint programmes. AVRO was founded in 1923 as the Netherlands first public broadcaster. TROS started broadcasting in 1964. Toppop was a weekly AVRO pop program that was aired between 1970 and 1988. AVROTROS Broadcasting PO Box 2 1200 JA Hilversum The Netherlands TopPop was the first regular dedicated pop music TV show in the Dutch language area. Dutch broadcaster AVRO aired the programme weekly, from 1970 to 1988. Presenter Ad Visser hosted the show for its first fifteen years. World famous music artists performed on TopPop: ABBA, 10CC, Bee Gees, The Jacksons with Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Earth & Fire, Queen, Golden Earring, Boney M, KC & The Sunshine Band, Chic, Donna Summer and many many more.
