Gary Brooker Dead at 76: Procol Harum Frontman Tragic Cause of Death Revealed

76-year-old Gary Brooker, the frontman for Procol Harum, the long-running band best known for the 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale," passed away.

The Procol Harum frontman has been receiving treatment for cancer since he died peacefully in his home in London last Saturday.

Brooker's surviving family member announced his passing in an obituary on the group's website, noting that Gary was a "brightly shining, irreplaceable light in the music industry."

In 2003, Brooker had been named a Member of the Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen.

The origins of Brooker

Brooker had previously formed the Paramounts in 1962 with future British blues-rock legend Robin Trower, who would form Procol Harum.

When he and Keith Reid created Procol Harum in 1966, they were joined by bassist Robin Trower and organist Matthew Fisher, who remained constants until departing, leaving Brooker as the driving force behind the band.

Procol Harum disbanded in 1977, but after establishing himself as a solo artist and studio musician, Brooker led reunion concerts in the following decades.

Solo career

On George Harrison's recently reissued classic "All Things Must Pass" album, he made an appearance and went on to collaborate with the former Beatle on the songs "Gone Troppo" and "Somewhere in England."

Brooker joined Eric Clapton's touring band in 1979 and appeared on the album "Another Ticket."

He remained a member of Clapton's touring band for the rest of his career, occasionally filling in for him on rare occasions.

Other credits include performing the lead vocal on "Limelight," a song from the 1985 Alan Parsons project's "Stereotomy" album, and playing on two Kate Bush albums, 1993's "The Red Shoes" and 2005's "Aerial."

The Harum's comeback

With the release of "A Prodigal Stranger," Procol Harum's first album in 14 years, Brooker reunited with Trower, Fisher, songwriter Reid, and drummer B.J. Wilson, to whom the album was dedicated.

Three further albums were released after that, the most recent of which, 2017's "Novum," did not feature any of the original members other than Brooker.

During the spring and summer of 2019, he completed his final tour under the group's banner.

The news of Brooker's death on the band's website stated that a private funeral would be held first, followed by a more public memorial celebration later on, and requested fans to "please respect the privacy of Franky Brooker."