Procol Harum organist and friend Josh Phillips reflects on the life and legacy of Gary Brooker. First published in The Ivors Academy website
Gary Brooker was a longstanding member of The Ivors Academy
and an Ivor winner. In 2009 we had the honour of presenting Gary with a
Gold Badge Award for his immense contribution to songwriting. Here,
fellow band mate, composer, and friend Josh Phillips pays tribute to
the legendary Procol Harum lead singer-songwriter.
I
first saw Gary when I was quite a lot younger than I am now, little did
I know I would wind up being the organist in Procol Harum in the early
90s.
The
concert was the Rainbow London, with full Orch and Choir. I came out of
the show and decided, yep thats for me, wind forward 20+ years and
there I was, playing my first gig with Procol, TOTALLY unplanned I
promise.
I
first met Gary in a studio in Surrey in 1991, he was laying some vocals
and piano down on Prodigal Stranger, the comeback album after the break
up in the late 70s. We went for a beer together, chatted and hit it off
pretty instantly.
Over
the first couple of years we would get together socially and
occasionally for charity gigs etc, and in about 1993 I did a handful of
shows with PH, then again in 1995.
It
was in 2004 that the organist chair became permanently available and
Gary asked me if I would like to take the seat, it didn’t take much to
twist my arm.
Gary
was an extraordinary person, he was an amazing singer, I would say one
of the best Rock Soul Blues singers to grace this planet, a wonderful
piano player too. His writing speaks for itself, he never really
followed fashion, he didn’t need to, his style was unique, flirting
with Bach and signing the Blues, what a combination.
His
ability to blend his writing so beautifully with orchestra and choir
says a lot about his talent, they fit like a glove, which is unique.
Gary and I wrote the initial ideas for the last Procol Harum album in my studio, titled Novum.
We
would sit together playing keyboards and trying ideas, and Gary would
always come at the song from a non conventional angle, I guess that’s
what made him different.
We
have travelled all over the world together as a band, onstage he was a
legend, his voice coming out of the monitors, full rich and always in
tune, what more can you ask.
I
will greatly miss Gary as a close friend, as a comedian, a great
companion, a huge influence on me, and above all a genuine man.
He was a loyal husband and loved his wife Franky dearly.
