RIP Gary Brooker (A Whiter Shade Of Pale)

[garyhead]

Sad news.....was being treated for cancer but passed away at home.
https://procolharum.com/gary-brooker-obituary.htm

[lbpesq]

Like many others around here, I suspect, "A White Shade of Pale" was prominently featured in the soundtrack of my youth.   Reading the linked obit, I find inspiring the description that Brooker was "Blessed with hungry ears".

May the Four Winds Blow You Safely Home.

Bill, tgo

[David Houck]

Like many others around here, I suspect, "White Shade of Pale" was prominently featured in the soundtrack of my youth...

Yes, and covered in a few bands as well.

[StephenR]

Really liked all the early Procol Harum albums, Gary had such a great voice. I only saw the band twice, first at the Anderson Theater in 1968 with Moby Grape opening, amazing show but they couldn't play Whiter Shade because there was something wrong with the Leslie and Matthew Fisher couldn't change the rotation to the proper speed. A good friends older sister and brother in law took us to the show and they were bummed because Whiter Shade of Pale was their wedding song so they had looked forward to hearing it live.  Second show was in either 1976 or 1977 with Little Feat opening. That show was supposed to be at the Long Island Arena in Commack but they couldn't sell enough tickets and it got moved/combined with a show booked at a small theater in upstate NY that also didn't sell well. There were tons of empty seats, kind of sad as both bands sounded fantastic.

When I joined the Jeff Mattson band in 1987 they did an arrangement of Whiter Shade of Pale for acoustic guitars, big thrill to get to play the song...  R.I.P. Gary!

[cozmik_cowboy]

From my early teens until The Flood Of '96 took all my vinyl, both A Salty Dog and Live With The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra were in heavy rotation on my turntable, and as a high school kid hanging out late at night at the college Student Center tending to the munchies, "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" lured many a quarter into the jukebox.  This is sad.

Peter

[edwardofhuncote]

I was talking to my buddy John over at Bluegrass Today this morning... both of us remember the Seldom Scene covering Whiter Shade live, but can't find it anywhere. I think it would've been during the Phil Rosenthal tenure in the band, immediately post John Starling days. It's funny how musical influences travel and cross-pollinate. A great way to be remembered if you ask me.