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Greg Lake has spoken out about depression and urged others to seek help, after his late bandmate Keith Emerson's cause of death was found to be suicide.
Now, Greg Lake has spoken out about Emerson's long and painful battle with depression - claiming that he had issues which dated back to the late 1970s.
"I have to be honest and say his death didn't come as a shock to me," Lake told The Express. "The situation with Keith didn't happen suddenly — it has been developed from as far back as 'The Works Vol. 1' album. At that point I began to see things happening with Keith which didn't look or feel right.
"It's very difficult to describe what depression is. We all know what it looks like. People's moods become very black. But it's more complicated. It changes someone's personality.
He continued: "He lived, in the end, this very lonely existence of someone who was deeply troubled. I saw someone who became increasingly confused, desperate and depressed."
When asked if his health problems and inability to perfom could have been a factor in his depression, Lake replied: "I'm sure that was a component — but a lot of people are given bad news like that, and you don't take your life because of it.
"If anyone does have feelings of being so desperate that they think it's better off not to wake up tomorrow, please talk to somebody. The doctor, your friend, anybody."
He added: "Talk to them and tell them what state you're in. If Keith had taken that path, he might still be here today.
Paying tribute, fellow 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."
"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."
For help and information on dealing with depression, visit Mind or The Samaritans.
