Gary Brooker MBE was an English singer-songwriter, pianist, and the founder and lead singer of the rock band Procol Harum.
He was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours on 14 June 2003, in recognition of his charitable services.
Born on 29 May 1945, in Hackney Hospital, East London, Brooker grew up in Hackney before the family moved out to Middlesex (Bush Hill Park and then to nearby Edmonton).
His father Harry Brooker was a professional musician, playing pedal steel guitar with Felix Mendelssohn’s Hawaiian Serenaders, and as a child, Brooker learned to play piano, cornet and trombone.
In 1954 the family relocated to the seaside resort of Southend-on-Sea, Essex, where Brooker attended Westcliff High School for Boys.
Brooker’s father died of a heart attack when he was 11 years old, forcing his mother to work to make ends meet.
He went to Southend Municipal College to study zoology and botany but dropped out to become a professional musician.
Brooker founded The Paramounts in 1962 with his guitarist friend Robin Trower.
The band gained respect within the rising 1960s British R&B scene, which yielded The Beatles, The Animals, The Spencer Davis Group, The Rolling Stones, and many others.
In 1967, Brooker founded Procol Harum with his friend Keith Reid.
Gary Brooker Cause Of Death: How Did Gary Brooker Die?
According to reports, Gary Brooker died at home on Saturday, February 19, 2022, after battling cancer.
He was 76 years old at the time of his demise.
Brooker is survived by his wife, Franky Booker.