He was writing music at a young age, when all he knew were the streets of Poole
Gregory Stuart Lake was born on November 10, 1947, in the Parkstone area of Poole, Dorset.
Growing up in the suburb of Oakdale in a post-Second World War prefabricated house, he spent his early years attending local schools like Stanley Green Infant School and Oakdale Juniors before moving on to Henry Harbin Secondary Modern (now Poole High School).
His parents, Harry, an engineer at Hamworthy Engineering, and Lily, a homemaker, raised him on a meagre wage.
Lake’s journey into music began at the age of 12 when he received a cheap Rosetti acoustic guitar for Christmas.
He took lessons with a local tutor, Don Strike, in Westbourne, where he practiced difficult violin exercises and old standards.
However, his musical tastes soon veered toward rock ‘n’ roll, influenced by artists like Hank Marvin of The Shadows.
After about a year, he ended his formal lessons to focus on learning rock ‘n’ roll numbers.
After leaving school, Lake worked briefly as a draughtsman’s apprentice with Aish & Co. in Poole.
During this time, he formed his first group, Unit 4, with other local musicians in 1962. They would travel to gigs in a converted ambulance driven by his father.
He later formed other local bands, including The Shame.
While attending a day-release course at Bournemouth Technical College, he struck up a friendship with another student from Dorset, Robert Fripp.
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They discovered they shared a guitar tutor and a passion for music, a connection that would become pivotal in both their careers.
In 1967, Lake decided to pursue music full-time, leaving his apprenticeship.
He played in various local bands, gaining experience and building a loyal following on the gig circuit. His time in these bands, playing in venues like the Fleetsbridge Drill Hall and local pubs, provided him with a valuable musical education.
In 1969, his old friend Robert Fripp invited him to join a new band he was forming, King Crimson, as a vocalist and bassist.
Although he was primarily a guitarist, Lake agreed to learn the bass for the band.
King Crimson’s debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, was a groundbreaking success and established the band as pioneers of progressive rock.
Despite this success, Lake’s tenure with King Crimson was short.
In 1970, he left to form a new supergroup with keyboardist Keith Emerson and drummer Carl Palmer. This trio, Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP), quickly became one of the most successful and influential progressive rock bands of the 1970s.
As a member of ELP, Lake was known for his distinct voice and lyrical songwriting, contributing to hits like “Lucky Man” and “From the Beginning.”
He also achieved solo success with his enduring Christmas single, “I Believe in Father Christmas,” in 1975.
Greg Lake died on December 7, 2016, in London, at the age of 69. His manager, Stewart Young, confirmed the news, stating that Lake had been in a “long and stubborn battle with cancer.”
The news came as a shock to many fans, as Lake had kept his illness private, not wanting to deal with the sympathy it would bring.
His death occurred just nine months after his former Emerson, Lake & Palmer bandmate, Keith Emerson, passed away, marking a sombre end for two-thirds of the iconic progressive rock trio in the same year.
While his career took him to global stages, Lake maintained his ties to his hometown, returning to perform in Bournemouth with both ELP and as a solo artist.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source uk.news.yahoo.com ’
