Songwriter Keith Reid Cause of Death Tragic: Procol Harum Lyricist Dead at 76

Keith Reid, a famed songwriter who notably served as the lyricist for Procol Harum, has died. He was 76.

Reid worked with Procol Harum by providing the lyrics for the rock band's song. But he also took the spotlight when he co-wrote its highest-charting track, "A Whiter Shade of Pale."

Procol Harum Dead at 76

On Procol Harum's official Facebook page, the band expressed its sadness and sympathy after learning about Keith Reid's death.

"His lyrics were one of a kind and helped to shape the music created by the band," the band wrote Wednesday. "His imaginative, surreal and multi-layered words were a joy to Procol fans and their complexity by design was a powerful addition [to] the Procol Harum catalogue. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends."

Before the rockers confirmed the news, BestClassicBands.com reported Reid's death after his wife, Pinkey, sent an email to their friends. It disclosed Keith Reid's cause of death, saying that he passed away on March 23 after his battle with cancer.

The specific type of cancer he suffered from remains unknown.

According to the National Cancer Institute, the dreaded disease refers to the time when some of the body's cells grow uncontrollably before spreading to other parts of the body. Among the things cancer cells do include telling blood vessels to grow and become tumors. While a person's immune system normally removes damaged or abnormal cells, cancer cells hide from it and trick it so they can stay alive.

Keith Reid's Career

The England-born lyricist grew up in London. He soon left school to focus on his fashion: songwriting.

While trying to find his path, he met Procol Harum's lead singer, Gary Brooker, and started co-writing most of the band's songs with him.

Among the tracks they worked on, the band's first single in 1967, "A Whiter Shade of Pale," set a record when it topped the UK Singles Chart and sold over six million copies. Although Reid was known as its lyricist, he was officially considered a band member.

Reid, however, had no performance role in the band.

Outside Procol Harum, he worked with Michel Polnareff and John Farmham in their hit songs, "You'll Be On My Mind" and "You're The Voice," respectively.

He had not worked on any albums for the Keith Reid Project since the last release in December 2018, titled "In My Head."