Lyricist Keith Reid, co-founder of Procol Harum, died last week at 76, it was announced Wednesday.
Reid died in a London hospital after a battle with cancer.
A statement on Procol Harum’s Facebook page described Reid as “an unparalleled lyricist” and added: “His lyrics were one of a kind and helped to shape the music created by the band. His imaginative, surreal and multi-layered words were a joy to Procol fans and their complexity by design was a powerful addition the Procol Harum catalogue.”
Though Reid never performed with Procol Harum, he is credited with writing all of its originals between 1967 and 2012, including “A Whiter Shade of Pale.”
Reid also co-wrote 1986’s “You’re the Voice,” a signature song for Australian singer John Farnham.
He released albums of his own in 2008 and 2018.