1. Gary Brooker was an English singer and pianist, and the founder and lead singer of the rock band Procol Harum.
20 Facts About Gary Brooker
1. 2.
Gary Brooker's father Harry Brooker was a professional musician, playing steel guitar with Felix Mendelssohn's Hawaiian Serenaders, and as a child Brooker learned to play piano, cornet, and trombone.
3.
In 1954 the family moved to the seaside resort of Southend-on-Sea, Essex, where Gary Brooker attended Westcliff High School for Boys.
4.
Gary Brooker's father died of a heart attack when Gary was 11 years old, forcing his mother to work in order to make ends meet, while Brooker himself took on a paper-round.
5.
Gary Brooker founded the Paramounts in 1962 with his guitarist friend, Robin Trower.
6.
In 1966, Gary Brooker founded Procol Harum with his friend Keith Reid.
7.
Gary Brooker started a solo career and released the album No More Fear of Flying in 1979.
8.
Clapton fired the entire band in 1981, but he and Gary Brooker remained good friends afterwards, and were for many years neighbours in the Surrey Hills.
9.
Gary Brooker joined Clapton for several one-off benefit gigs over the years.
10.
Gary Brooker sang lead vocal on the Alan Parsons Project song "Limelight", on their 1985 album, Stereotomy.
11.
Gary Brooker sang the lead vocal of the song "No News from the Western Frontier", a single taken from the album Hi-Tec Heroes by the Dutch performer Ad Visser.
12.
Gary Brooker toured with Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band in 1997 and 1999, and he was a member of Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings for several years, appearing on three of their albums and touring with the band.
13.
Also in 1996, Gary Brooker appeared in the Alan Parker film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita starring Madonna, Jonathan Pryce, and Antonio Banderas.
14.
Gary Brooker said that his greatest single earning in his career was from his appearance in the film.
15.
Gary Brooker contributed to George Harrison's albums All Things Must Pass, Somewhere in England and Gone Troppo.
16.
On 28 October 2009, Gary Brooker was presented with a BASCA in recognition of his unique contribution to music.
17.
Gary Brooker again fell injuring himself, during the interval of a Procol Harum concert at London's Royal Festival Hall in March 2017.
18.
In July 1968, Gary Brooker married Francoise Riedo, a Swiss au pair, whom he met circa 1965.
19.
Gary Brooker was a supporter of the Countryside Alliance and played in concerts to raise funds for the organisation.
20.
Gary Brooker died from cancer at his home in Surrey on 19 February 2022, at the age of 76.