Keith Emerson

Bio:
Keith Emerson (November 2, 1944 in Todmorden, England) was the longtime keyboardist for the progressive 1970’s rock supergroup Emerson, Lake and Palmer. He learned classical music as a child and acquired his first Hammond organ when he was 15.  In 1967 he formed the band The Nice which centered around his showmanship with his organ, and it’s also when he acquired a Moog synthesizer. In 1970 he joined guitarist King Crimson’s Greg Lake and drummer Carl Palmer, a veteran of the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, to form a supergroup that utilized their unique talents. The group released four albums before going on a brief hiatus, rejoining in 1977 for additional work together before Keith went on to form Emerson, Lake and Powell with drummer Greg Powell from Rainbow in 1980. Keith also composed the score for numerous films, including Inferno (1980), the action thriller Nighthawks (1981) and recently, Godzilla: Final Wars (2004).

Best Known For:
Being the keyboardist for the progressive 1970’s progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake and Palmer, as well as being a composer.

Personal Life:
Emerson married his Danish girlfriend, Elinor, in Dec. 1969. They had two sons, Aaron Ole Emerson and Damon Keith Emerson, and later divorced. Keith died at his home in Santa Monica, CA on March 10, 2016 from what police believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.