Emerson, Lake & Palmer musician Greg Lake has died.
Greg Lake
The singer-and-guitarist passed away on Wednesday (07.12.16) after losing a "long and stubborn battle with cancer".
A post on the prog rock band's official Facebook account made by ELP's long-time manager Stewart Young confirmed the sad news, reading: "Yesterday, December 7th, I lost my best friend to a long and stubborn battle with cancer. Greg Lake will stay in my heart forever, as he has always been. His family would be grateful for privacy during this time of their grief. Many thanks, Stewart Young (sic)"
Greg formed ELP with drummer Carl Palmer and keyboardist Keith Emerson in 1970 and the group went on to become one of the biggest prog acts of the decade with their fusion of jazz, rock and classical musical with albums such as 'Tarkus', 'Trilogy' and 'Brain Salad Surgery' being global hits.
Before his time in ELP, Lake was the frontman for King Crimson - who formed in 1968 and are considered a pioneering act in the prog genre before they imploded in 1970 - and he was responsible in 1975 for releasing 'I Believe in Father Christmas' as a solo artist, which although has become a festive classic was originally penned by Lake as a protest against the commercialization of the holiday season.
Lake's death comes just nine months after Emerson died in Santa Monica, California, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was 71 at the time of his suicide.