Procol HarumBeyond
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Gary's obituary notice at this website | Peter Solley's posting | Josh Phillips's posting
Leave your tribute, message and donation -- to the hospice charity that provided Gary's home care in his final weeks -- by clicking here.
Gary was awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours on 14 June 2003 in recognition of his charitable services. His message to the website is here. The newspaper reports mentioned his musical activities primarily, of course. The Guardian referred to him as the 'singer / songwriter and founder of the seminal band Procol Harum'. Quite rightly so. Pictures of Gary and Franky at the Palace are here.
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Main instrument: Gary was taught the piano by Ronald Meachen; in 1967 GB told an NME interviewer that he also played cornet and trombone. See here for a moment's Brooker trumpeting. He was born at Hackney Hospital, 230 Homerton High Street, Hackney, E8, according to Pete Frame's Rockin' Around Britain (Omnibus Press 1989). Recordings by Gary's father, Harry Brooker: see here and here: review here; Gary's mother, see here
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A Whiter Shade of Pale (45 RPM) |
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Four Brooker solo albums |
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Live in Ledreborg (CD, DVD, download) | DVD: Live in Copenhagen |
One Eye to the
Future Spirit of Nøkken MMX ... Some Long Road ... |
Novum | |
DVD: I'm Coming Home: The Paramounts' Reunion, 2005: click here to order |
Gary Brooker MBE with Ray Davies of The Kinks and the
actor John Hurt, pictured on 23 May 2012 |
Peter Cohen writes to BtP: 'Last year I wrote the e-mail below
to The Times. This year I'm delighted to say he has been
included (as shown right).'
To: letters@thetimes.co.ukSent: 29/05/2015 Subj: Gary Brooker
Sir,
Gary Brooker, lead singer and pianist with rock group Procol Harum,
celebrated his 70th Birthday today, 29th May. I was very
disappointed this was not recognised in your ' Birthdays' section of
today's newspaper.
He was largely responsible for writing the music for the classic
single A Whiter Shade of Pale which topped the Charts in 1967
and has since been played more times on British radio than any other
single.
In my opinion he is an unsung national treasure and has never
received the recognition deserved. He still leads Procol Harum in
concerts both at home and abroad, most recently in the UK at the
Dominion Theatre, London last November and will be performing at
Ewhurst, Surrey next month. He received an MBE in 2003 for his
services to charity.
I hope in future years you will see fit to include him.
Yours etc
Peter Cohen
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Gary plays AWSoP with the SAS Band at Chiddingfold. Photograph above by Stuart Catterson, © Bridge Recordings: click on the picture to visit the SAS Band website Photo below: GB in 1973 at the time of Procol's 'Midnight Special' broadcast from Biba's in London Illustration left: GB in birthday company, The Times, May 2016 |
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Click on this little picture to download a quicktime video that features GB along with others at the Heinkeken Night of the proms 1993 singing All You Need is Love. John O tells us that 'the segment features Gary prominently, with a bit of Sting, definitely way cool, covers about 2 verses ... , but it's 4.9 MB.' Our illustration is a still from the video, of course |
Other bands Gary played in ... |
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Eric Clapton's Band (book excerpts here) : more info on this Clapton website. |
Gary's non-PH / Paramounts sessions (up to 1986) |
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He was also backed by Jethro Tull at a Friends of the Earth benefit in October 1994 |
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The Palers' Band: 2006
in Denmark, 2013
in Germany, |
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