Photo: WENN
Keith Emerson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, Santa Monica Polica have confirmed.
The founding member and keyboardist of prog rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer, died on Friday at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 71.
Santa Monica Police have now confirmed to Billboard this he died as a result of a self-inflected gunshot wound to the head, and his death has been ruled a suicide. According to an earlier report from TMZ, Emerson had been suffering from depression, partly as a result of a degenerative nerve issue in his right hand.
In a statement on Facebook, Emerson's former bandmate Carl Palmer wrote, "I will deeply miss Keith and I want you all to know I will carry on flying the ELP banner and playing the great music with my band for many years to come. We have lost a very talented and gifted musician but this great music will continue for a long, long time."
He continued, "I will be looking at putting together a tribute show to Keith Emerson hopefully in June this year, and I hope this is something you will all want to come along and see to help celebrate his music. This I feel, is the very least I can do to honour Keith’s talent and musicianship in the best way I know."
