RIP Keith Emerson

[Vic2012]

RIP

[Steve F.]

I was able to meet him briefly at Nearfest, and he came across as a really nice, down to earth guy.

That was exactly my (brief) experience.

[Obscured]

Paul Stanley ‏@PaulStanleyLive
"RIP KEITH EMERSON. I saw ELP as a teen. Emerson was swagger&daggers stabbing the Hammond. THAT was prog with an edge."

Derek Sherinian ‏@DerekSherinian
"Keith Emerson RIP "

Neal Morse ‏@nealmorse
"We are all so sad to hear of the passing of the great Keith Emerson. One of my favorite artist/composers ever. Prayers for his family."

[spacefreak]

One of the innovators. RIP!

[JKL2000]

Wow - yes, this is definitely a tough one - he was pretty young, wasn't he?

RIP, Keith, thanks for the rotating pianos, daggers, etc. And the great music.

[Rand Kelly]

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/keith-emerson-dies/

[Lopez]

Man, oh, man. I saw ELP for the first (of several times) in April of 1971 in Providence. He's the reason I continued taking piano lessons.

[regenerativemusic]

Wow, this one is big. I took Keith for my Catholic confirmation name I was so impressed by him. RIP.

[progholio]

Wow, i thought this was another dumb facebook hoax but apparently not, very sad news. When i was a young kid back in 1972 i discovered the first ELP album which had a very profound influence on my taste in music. This one really hurts, RIP.

Edit - I should add, Mr Emerson has always been my benchmark for judging other keyboardist.

[TheLongshot]

For me, Keith was the original prog rock keyboardist, even before I knew what prog rock was, or even ELP. To say he was a heavy influence on my musical tastes would be drastically understating it. He will be missed.

[emperorken]

Wow, another shocker. I was lucky enough to see ELP at their peak during the Brain Salad Surgery tour. RIP Keith.

[Obscured]

KORG USA ‏@KorgUSA
#RIP @keith_n_emerson, life-long friend & artist. You will be deeply missed.


Bob Moog Foundation ‏@MoogFoundation
Devastating news of Keith Emerson's passing today. Goodbye to a great talent and friend. Your impact lives on.......

[gpeccary]

My first show was BSS, quad, Yale Bowl, New Haven. They were and continue to be my all time favorite band. They get slagged for over the top shows and being bombastic blah blah blah...but to me Emerson set the stage for anyone that followed him. I saw him at BB Kings, he slowed down a bit from the issues with his hand, but during his solo, he walked around to the back of his Hammond, all the while playing, and continued the solo, backwards. I was slack jawed watching this.
Stunned, broken hearted, truly one of the greats in this genre. Bon voyage

[Conti]

I'm really, really sad with this shocking news. I still remember buying my first ELP record in 1990 and listening to Endless Enigma for the first time. I've seen them in my hometown in Brazil years later, it was great. This afternoon I was just showing to a friend H. Simpson singing along with the moog solo in Lucky Man and having such fun. Terrible loss for music.

[Rael]

Sad news. This year has been just awful all around. RIP Keith Emerson.

[Supersonic Scientist]

This one will hurt deeply and for quite some time. Too sad to continue typing right now....

RIP Keith....there will be no equal.

[progeezer]

Oy vey! Enough already!

RIP to (thank you Todd) a wizard and a true star. Peace to his family.

My thoughts instantly went to Rachel Flowers when I saw this. I'm sure this will be very hard for her.

He was 71 like someone else I know quite well.

[regenerativemusic]

I think it will hurt so much because he took directly the dumbing down of culture which could not understand or appreciate his music. I'm having to edit my comments because I'm a bit shaken up.

[Yellow Jester]

RIP Keith Emerson. I started listening to Emerson's work when I heard the live LP, "Welcome Back My Friends" back in 1974 and have been an ELP fan ever since. So sorry to hear about his passing.

[rickm]

This is not right nor fair.

[yesterdays]

RIP Keith Emerson, an innovator and a legend.

From TMZ:

"According to our sources, Emerson's girlfriend discovered his body in their home and described the passing as "sudden." We're told Emerson had plans to tour in Japan next week."

[frippster]

The first rock show I ever went to was ELPowell at the Fox in Atlanta, when I was twelve. I only knew the records and had no idea of how energetic a performer Emerson was. I was in the back and was blown away with him rocking back and forth on the Hammond, slamming it to the stage. One of the most amazing performers I've seen in person.

My best friend and I had to be the only two dorks in rural Georgia riding around in high school with Pictures At An Exhibition blasting. Such good times. Thanks for all the music and memories, Keith.

[jefftiger]

Oh wow. Yet another major artist passes. ELP were at the core of my 1970s music experience. I still recall my older brother bringing home their first album shortly after its release. We were both into the first King Crimson album at the time. I was an ELP fanatic for decades, and ended up seeing them several times during the Works vol. 1/2 era and again in the 1990s with their reunion. Like a number of others, I was, oddly, listening to his music earlier today. It was "3 Live Boston '88" and I was thinking what a great keyboardist he was (even though the recording is pretty lousy). This has been a truly terrible 12 or so months as so many of the great rock artists of the '60s and '70s pass on.

[nsmith1002]

I was lucky to see ELP back in 1977 at the Indianapolis Market Square Arena before they were forced for financial reasons to get rid of the orchestra for the remainder of that tour. One of the best concerts I ever attended (had a third row seat right in front of Greg Lake) and ELP was my "starter" progressive rock group, Farewell, Emo...

[proggy_jazzer]

Shit. RIP.