ELP Star Keith Emerson 'Shot Himself Because He Could No Longer Perform For His Fans'

UK Daily Mail ^ | 3/13/2016 | Caroline Graham

[LS]

Rock star Keith Emerson killed himself because he feared he was no longer good enough as a musician, his girlfriend exclusively told The Mail on Sunday last night. The 71-year-old founder and keyboard player of Emerson, Lake and Palmer was 'tormented with worry' about upcoming concerts in Japan because nerve damage to a hand had affected his playing, said Mari Kawaguchi. She found Emerson's body when she returned to the apartment the couple shared in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, early on Friday morning. He had shot himself with a gun he kept for protection. 'Keith wasn't feeling well on Thursday night. He had bronchitis so I tucked him up in bed,' said Kawaguchi, 52.

[LS]

Did Emerson do the piano that lifted off the stage and spun around as he played?

[skimbell]

You have never heard of Emrson, Lake and Palmer?

[LS]

If you have never listened to my friend, Mark Stein, of Vanilla Fudge, he is I think THE best rock organist ever. His solo on “The Break Song” on the “Near the Beginning” album is the best rock solo ever, slightly above Wakeman’s solo in “Close to the Edge” and Argent’s in “Hold Your Head Up.”

[usconservative]

Yes! It was amazing

[faithhopecharity]

ok yes i recognize it now, THANK U

[FreeReign]

Here's the only live version I could find of "Bitches Crystal" (1997)

[LS]

Have you seen Trans-Siberian Orchestra? They are a kick: they are virtually EVERY 80s band, big-hair-heavy rock and roll trick you ever remember.

[LS]

Palmer was technically a great drummer but I just don’t like listening to him. It’s like I never cared for Buddy Rich. Technique out the wazoo, but I just never felt the soul with them.

[Psalm 73]

"...how do you know that it wasn't God's plan to finally bring him home?"

Well, all we can know about God's will is what He wrote as the author of the Bible.
He desires that none should perish (in their sins) but that all would come to Him through Jesus Christ.

I do not know if Keith had a relationship with Jesus (that is between he and Jesus) - but I'm inferring that he no longer wished to live because he could not perform the way that he wanted to.
It is who we are in Jesus that matters, not what we can (or cannot) do for our fans, (or anybody else).
If Keith knew that, he would probably still be here.

But hey, in that split second before he died, he may have accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. If that was the case, I will see him one day, (because I know where I'm going).

[berdie]

I have seen TSO three times. Once before they were widely known in a relatively small venue, with no pyrotechnics. Twice in a huge venue with all the glam.

All concerts were great! With a great story.

[FreeReign]

Palmer was technically a great drummer but I just don’t like listening to him. It’s like I never cared for Buddy Rich. Technique out the wazoo, but I just never felt the soul with them.

I know exactly what you mean. The same goes for Emerson too. I always thought that I should have been enjoying their music more than I did, because they were so talented.

But I did like Tarkus.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

Hard to imagine that, at 71, he could perform anywhere near his prime anyway, as demanding as his part in ELP was. Seems like I read somewhere where Emerson and Palmer were miffed at Greg Lake because they stayed in shape while he let himself go, but still.

I would think the presence of a backup keyboardist to do the stuff that Keith could no longer do would not have distressed his fans any.

[Eagles6]

Good Gosh! His beautiful young girlfriend would have been more than enough to live for.

What a terrible, selfish thing to do to her.

[dr_lew]

It’s why Hemingway shot himself. It’s why Thomas wrote “Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

That's two different things! ... if I may point that out. I'm figuring on "rage, rage ..." You know, getting in shape for it.

[Prov1322]

I will never forget them playing Fanfare for the Common Man and blowing up the synthesizers -- which were the size of cars back then -- at the end of the song.

In recent years we have become friends with Bob Moog's right hand man of that era, who worked with Emerson in setting up his system. He is quite an accomplished musician himself with hundreds of patents on his own electronic keyboard systems.

Saddened that Emerson took himself out.

[pallmallman]

I saw ELP live in 1977,...they were technically AWESOME...flawless. There were no rough edges...no flubs, none of that stuff, no....they sounded like their studio best. Emerson was just plain brilliant, as were his two band mates. This was a very tragic thing...this suicide. I’m a Christian, but I realize that people can have a brain chemistry that can sometimes bring on suicide...I know from first hand experience what depression can bring on. God Bless him and may he R.I.P.