Procol Harum lead singer Gary Brooker has died at the age of 76 after receiving treatment for cancer.
The psychedelic rock band were best known for their 1967 hit A Whiter Shade Of Pale.
A statement on the group's website said: "With the deepest regret we must announce the death on 19 February 2022 of Gary Brooker MBE, singer, pianist and composer of Procol Harum, and a brightly-shining, irreplaceable light in the music industry.
"Aged 76, he had been receiving treatment for cancer, but died peacefully at home."
The band continued in a statement: "He lit up any room he entered, and his kindness to a multilingual family of fans was legendary.
"He was notable for his individuality, integrity, and occasionally stubborn eccentricity. His mordant wit, and appetite for the ridiculous, made him a priceless raconteur (and his surreal inter-song banter made a fascinating contrast with the gravitas of Procol Harum’s performances).
"His first single with Procol Harum, 1967’s ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale,’ is widely regarded as defining ‘The Summer of Love’, yet it could scarcely have been more different from the characteristic records of that era.
"Nor was it characteristic of his own writing. Over 13 albums, Procol Harum never sought to replicate it, preferring to forge a restlessly progressive path, committed to looking forward, and making each record a ‘unique entertainment’.
"Gary’s voice and piano were the single defining constant of Procol’s fifty-year international concert career. Without any stage antics or other gimmicks he was invariably the most watchable musician in the show (he played several other instruments in the studio)."
Brooker was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2003 for his charitable services.
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