Gary Brooker

Gary Brooker, MBE, (born May 29, 1945) is a singer, songwriter, pianist, and founder of the classical rock band Procol Harum. Brooker was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours on June 14, 2003 in recognition of his charitable services.

Gary Brooker founded The Paramounts in 1962 with his guitarist chum Robin Trower. The band gained respect within the burgeoning 1960's British R 'n' B scene, which yielded The Beatles, The Animals, The Spencer Davis Group, The Rolling Stones, and many others. The Stones, in particular, were Paramounts fans, giving them guest billing on several memorable shows in the early 1960's.

In 1966, Brooks founded Procol Harum (a mis-spelling of a Latin term for "beyond these things"). Procol produced a unique sound that emphasized frontman Gary Brooker's melancholy vocals and a haunting mix of his classically-trained piano, Matthew Fisher's elegant, church-like organ, and Trower's searing guitar licks, along with frequent black humor and a penchant for unpredictable experimentation.

Procol Harum's first single was 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale', which shot up the record charts on both sides of the Atlantic. By July, 1967, it was the number one selling song in the world and instantly defined something new, classical rock: the fusion of bluesy, hard-edged electric instruments, cerebral lyrics, and the complexities of classical music. Right after 'AWSoP' became a hit, the band set out to leverage their studio success by touring, and by undergoing the first of what turned into many lineup changes over the years; their guitarist was replaced by the more experienced Trower. Musically, Procol Harum was split – during their early years – between Trower's guitar-driven blues rock influence and Brooker's structured classical rock sound. The group often combined the two into a brilliantly dynamic fusion, but by 1972 the disparities in style became too great; the end of an era was marked for Procol, with the release of the album 'Broken Barricades', and subsequent departure of Trower.

Brooker and Procol returned to success on the music charts in the following years with a distinctly classical rock sound, often backed by symphony orchestra bands. A new incarnation of the band, led by Brooker, has continued touring the United States since 1992 (see 1992 in music).

External Links

• ClassicBands.com – Procol Harum
• ProcolHarum.com – Beyond the Pale
• AirMail.net – 'Ringo Starr's All Starr Band 1997 Tour: Gary Brooker'