Gary Brooker, cofounder of Procol Harum, died over the weekend at 76 years old.
The band's Twitter account reveal the news, which said, "With the deepest regret, we must announce the death on Feb. 19, 2022, of Gary Brooker MBE."
According to Procol Harum's website, Brooker had been receiving cancer treatment and died peacefully at his home.
The statement said, "Gary’s charisma was by no means confined to the stage. He lit up any room he entered, and his kindness to a multilingual family of fans was legendary. 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)."
Gary Brooker was born in London in 1945 to a musical family.
Brooker learned to play instruments such as the piano, cornet and trombone growing up. He later studied zoology and botany in college, but dropped out to pursue music.