Keith Reid, the beloved and unequaled songwriter of the English rock band Procol Harum, has passed away.
Reid wrote the lyrics to almost all of Procol Harum’s songs. His poems were creative, complicated, and stylish, and his vocals were unique and essential to the band’s legendary music.
On Facebook, the band expressed their sympathies to his family and friends.
Reid had been battling cancer for a few years and was undergoing treatment when he died unexpectedly at a London hospital.
He co-founded the band with frontman Gary Brooker, who died in 2022 at 76 after battling an illness.
Reid and Brooker have left behind a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire music fans worldwide for years to come.
Procol Harum was a British rock band that started in 1967 and broke up in 1977.
The band’s core lineup included:
- Pianist and vocalist Gary Brooker.
- Songwriter Keith Reid.
- Guitarist Ray Royer.
- Drummer Bobby Harrison.
- Saxophone player Chris Copping.
Over their career, they published thirteen studio albums, with their most recognized success being “A Whiter Shade of Pale” in 1967.
After disbanding, the group reformed in 1991 and proceeded to record and perform for nearly three decades until their retirement in 2019.
Keith Reid is remembered for his lyrical contributions to the band’s songs and founding a management firm in the 1980s. His solo debut album, “In My Head,” was released in 2018 to widespread critical praise.
The song “A Whiter Shade of Pale” was entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and it was also named the BBC’s most-played music in public locations in the United Kingdom for 75 years.
