Songwriter Keith Reid — the lyricist for Procol Harum, who co-wrote the band’s highest-charting hit, “A Whiter Shade of Pale” — has died at age 76, his household and the band introduced Wednesday (March 29).
“We’re unhappy to listen to of the dying of Keith Reid,” a press release on Procol Harum’s Fb web page learn. “An unparalleled lyricist Keith wrote the phrases to just about all Procol Harum songs, in addition to co-writing the John Farnham hit ‘You’re the Voice.’ His lyrics had been one among a sort and helped to form the music created by the band. His imaginative, surreal and multi-layered phrases had been a pleasure to Procol followers and their complexity by design was a robust addition [to] the Procol Harum catalogue. Our ideas exit to his household and associates.”
The information was initially revealed in an e mail from Reid’s spouse, Pinkey, to associates of the lyricist, in accordance with BestClassicBands.com. The reason for dying was most cancers.
Reid co-founded the band together with his good friend Gary Booker, Procol Harum’s lead singer, pianist and composer who died final yr, additionally at age 76.
The band is probably going greatest identified for his or her 1967 debut single “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” which was inducted into the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame’s Singles class in 2018. The observe offered 10 million copies worldwide, spent six weeks atop the U.Okay. singles chart, and reached No. 5 on the Billboard Sizzling 100. Procol Harum had two different prime 40 Sizzling 100 hits, each co-written by Reid: “Homburg” (No. 34 in 1967) and “Conquistador” (No. 16 in 1972).
