Procol Harum's Gary Brooker, who sang 'A Whiter Shade of Pale,' dies at 76

The surviving members of Procul Harum announced Brooker's death in an obituary on the group's official website. – Photo: proculharum.com

Gary Brooker, the frontman for Procol Harum, the long-running band most famous for 1967's A Whiter Shade Of Pale, died Saturday at age 76. The cause of death was cancer.

The surviving members announced Brooker's death in an obituary on the group's official website, writing that the brightly shining, irreplaceable light in the music industry... had been receiving treatment for cancer, but died peacefully at home.

Brooker had been appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire by the Queen in 2003.

Prior to Procol Harum, Brooker had founded the Paramounts in 1962 with future British blues-rock legend Robin Trower. He and Keith Reid formed Procol Harum in 1966, with Trower and organist Matthew Fisher as mainstays in the early days before they dropped out and left Brooker as the key driving force of the band.

Procol Harum in 1967 (from L) Robin Trower, David Knights, Gary Brooker, Matthew Fisher and B.J. Wilson. - Photo: Filepic

Procol Harum broke up in 1977, but after becoming a solo artist and session man, Brooker led reunion tours in later decades.

He appeared on George Harrison's recently reissued classic All Things Must Pass album, and continued to work with the former Beatle on Gone Troppo and Somewhere in England. After Harrison's death, he appeared at the Concert for George and sang the honoree's Old Brown Shoe.

In 1979, Brooker joined Eric Clapton's touring band and appeared on the album Another Ticket, continuing to sit in with Clapton on special occasions through the years. Other credits include singing the lead vocal on a 1985 Alan Parsons project song, Limelight, from the Stereotomy album, and playing on two Kate Bush albums, 1993's The Red Shoes and 2005's Aerial.

He appeared on screen as an actor in Alan Parker's film adaptation of the stage musical Evita, playing the role of Juan Atilo Bramuglia.

"He lit up any room he entered, and his kindness to a multilingual family of fans was legendary," the band wrote in its obituary. "He was notable for his individuality, integrity, and occasionally stubborn eccentricity. His mordant wit, and appetite for the ridiculous, made him a priceless raconteur (and his surreal inter-song banter made a fascinating contrast with the gravitas of Procol Harum's performances)."

Procol Harum was never nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to the consternation of many, but A Whiter Shade of Pale itself became part of the Hall as part of a Singles category in 2018.

He is survived by his wife, Franky Brooker, whom he met in 1965 and wed in 1968. The couple had no children.

The announcement of Brooker's death on the band's website said a private funeral would be followed later by a more public memorial celebration later, and asked fans to "please respect the privacy of Franky Brooker". It asked for donations in Brooker's name to be made to Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care. – Reuters