Keith Emerson is hailed as a keyboard legend, one of the most important figures to emerge from the thriving UK rock scene of the 1960s and 1970s. He is known for fusing rock 'n' roll with classical, jazz, and world music, setting a standard for others to follow. With both "The Nice" and "Emerson, Lake & Palmer," Emerson has written and recorded some of rock's most adventurous music, bringing it to the masses with unmatched virtuosity and skillful showmanship.
Born on November 2, 1944, in Todmorden, Lancashire, England, Keith Emerson soon became a piano sensation in his hometown of Worthing, Sussex by the time he was fourteen years old. In his late teens, he moved to London, joined the band "V.I.P.'s" and later "Gary Farr and the T-Bones," backing their mentor T-Bone Walker at the Marquee Club in London, also touring Germany, France, and the UK.
Keith Emerson's early influences were jazz artists Fats Waller, Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck, Jack McDuff, and Big John Patton. Classical composers also became influential to his music, including J.S. Bach, Aaron Copland, Demetri Shostokovich, Bela Bartok, and Alberto Ginestera amongst others.
In his twenties, he formed a band called "The Nice" with bassist/vocalist Lee Jackson, drummer Brian Davison, and guitarist David O'List, which backed ex-Ike and Tina Turner's singer P.P. Arnold. The group struck out on its own with a unique blend of classical, blues, jazz, and rock. Emerson adopted the Hammond Organ as his instrument of choice during this period and soon gained fame for his outrageous stage antics and inspired musical performances.
Keith Emerson was the first artist to tour with the Moog synthesizer internationally, with the help of its inventor, Dr. Robert Moog. In 1970, "The Nice" broke up, and Emerson formed the legendary group, "Emerson, Lake & Palmer" (ELP) with bassist/vocalist Greg Lake and drummer Carl Palmer. They achieved instant fame with their debut at the Isle Of Wight Festival in 1970.
Keith Emerson went on to release the occasional collection of new material appearing on-stage. He even reunited with Nice band mates Brian Davison and Lee Jackson for a show in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2002 (Vivacitas). Along with the EMI classic release of the solo piano, "Emerson plays Emerson" in the same year He penned an autobiography, "Pictures of an Exhibitionist" in 2003.
Keith Emerson has consistently won the Overall Best Keyboardist award in the annual Keyboard Magazine Readers' Poll, since the magazine debuted in 1975 and holds a seat of honor on their advisory board. He was recently honored at The Smithsonian Institution, along with Dr. Robert Moog, for his pioneering work in electronic music.
