Tributes to Greg Lake, a founder of ‘prog rock’
EMERSON, Lake & Palmer drummer, Carl Palmer, has paid tribute to his former bandmate Greg Lake, who has died aged 69.
Lake, a guitarist and singer, pioneered the progressive rock scene of the 1970s with ELP and his first band, King Crimson.
Writing on his website, Palmer said it was “with great sadness that I must now say goodbye to my friend and fellow bandmate, Greg Lake.”
The musician died on Wednesday after suffering from cancer, his manager confirmed.
Palmer said the death of ELP keyboardist Keith Emerson earlier this year made Lake’s death “particularly hard for all of us”.
He said: “As Greg sang at the end of Pictures At An Exhibition, ‘death is life’. His music can now live forever in the hearts of all who loved him.”
Palmer added: “Greg’s soaring voice and skill as a musician will be remembered by all who knew his music and recordings made with ELP and King Crimson.”
Lake’s manager, Stewart Young, said he had lost his “best friend to a long and stubborn battle with cancer”.
Lake, who was born in Dorset, was deemed a giant of progressive rock for his work with King Crimson and ELP.
After Lake struck up a friendship with Emerson, the pair recruited Palmer to form the prog supergroup in 1970.
ELP went on to sell more than 48 million records, with Lake producing a number of their studio albums.
Lake was also widely known for his hit I Believe In Father Christmas, which reached number two in the charts in 1975.