RIP Keith Emerson

brainstormer wrote: Atavachron wrote: This has to be the longest condolence signing in the site's history. If I could change the past, I would have written him fan letters trying to get him to drop out of the rock and roll world that he seemed to the end trying to please and just focus on scoring, not caring about performing.

I did just that almost a year ago. See my post under 'Interview with Keith's Girlfriend' I thought it was worth sharing with the community. I have no idea if he ever even read it, but I wish it had helped.

I think it's terribly sad about Keith. He did great work in bringing keyboards to the fore in the public mind, following on from Billy Ritchie, but listening to what he actually produced, I don't believe there is anything that will last beyond this generation. Perhaps he realised that too, but even so, he should have been proud of what he did achieve in this life. Desperately poignant and sad.

^ I don't know, she was just being honest about what she thinks.  And though Keith may be getting some posthumous attention, I suspect giselle's observation is largely correct.   Rock is in deep recession if not on its last legs and the movers in rock are slowly fading from contemporary culture as important figures.  A few Eternals still exist ~ Hendrix, Zep, Lennon&McCartney, Neil Young, etc ~ but music and its consumption has changed to where rock innovators are much less appreciated or even known.  Show me a non-musician in their 20s who knows who Dave Gilmour or Keith Moon is and I'll show you someone whose parents listened to classic rock.  But that's about it.





Edited by Atavachron - April 07 2016 at 00:02

Atavachron wrote: ^ I don't know, she was just being honest about what she thinks.  And though Keith may be getting some posthumous attention, I suspect giselle's observation is largely correct.   Rock is in deep recession if not on its last legs and the movers in rock are slowly fading from contemporary culture as important figures.  A few Eternals still exist ~ Hendrix, Zep, Lennon&McCartney, Neil Young, etc ~ but music and its consumption has changed to where rock innovators are much less appreciated or even known.  Show me a non-musician in their 20s who knows who Dave Gilmour or Keith Moon is and I'll show you someone whose parents listened to classic rock.  But that's about it.

well said Brother David

Atavachron wrote: ^ I don't know, she was just being honest about what she thinks.  And though Keith may be getting some posthumous attention, I suspect giselle's observation is largely correct.   Rock is in deep recession if not on its last legs and the movers in rock are slowly fading from contemporary culture as important figures.  A few Eternals still exist ~ Hendrix, Zep, Lennon&McCartney, Neil Young, etc ~ but music and its consumption has changed to where rock innovators are much less appreciated or even known.  Show me a non-musician in their 20s who knows who Dave Gilmour or Keith Moon is and I'll show you someone whose parents listened to classic rock.  But that's about it.

brainstormer wrote: There's always been a major divided consensus about Emerson's value, which clearly wasn't limited to "rock."  He somewhat tried to liberate people from it.

Emerson's value may not have been limited to rock, but his influence was, and while Prog rock did impact the commercial/Commercial Trade music of the mid-70s that impact was as much from Yes and Genesis.  

And I don't know if can agree that Emerson tried to liberate people from rock.   He tried to liberate rock, but not people from it.





Edited by Atavachron - April 07 2016 at 21:01

^I would hope a mag along the lines of Mojo would do it.

I know this is a really old thread by now. I'm not a new fan of ELP, just new to this site.

Atavachron wrote: I was just thinking of him today.  Terrible.   He had kids.   The poor man.

TheLionOfPrague wrote: Atavachron wrote: I was just thinking of him today.  Terrible.   He had kids.   The poor man. He did? I thought he had just his girlfriend. I never saw any mention of them or from them when he died, strange.

They were from his wife Elinor who he divorced in 1992 or 1993. One son Aaron is also a keyboardist. The other son whose name I forgot is not in music. They're both probably in their 40s.