Legendary keyboardist and GOBLIN co-founder Claudio Simonetti on the passing of his hero, the late Keith Emerson.
When my agent called me, who is also Emerson, Lake and Palmer co-founder Carl Palmer’s agent, to tell me that Keith Emerson had committed suicide at his home in Los Angeles, I was petrified and in total disbelief.
A few days before, I was just at dinner with Carl Palmer and he told me all their history, including the current problems Keith was having with his arm (due to arthritis).
He said his situation was very serious and nothing could to be done to return the Emerson’s arm as before, but I never thought that this would lead him to make a gesture so extreme.
I met him in 1974 when we had band rehearsals in London at Manticore Theater and then in Rome in 1979 when Keith recorded the soundtrack for the film INFERNO directed by Dario Argento.
Emerson was a very friendly, kind, sensitive man, a perfectionist, and I consider him definitely one of the greatest pianists in history.
I would have never thought his end would be so tragic.
I started in the late ’60s playing the organ in rock bands and he was the model for my sound, listening the records of The Nice and later, Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
I remained spellbound in front of his Hammond sound, so personal, technically perfect; then when I heard “Lucky Man” for the first time, I discovered the existence of the ‘Moog”, a new sound never listened in any rock and pop record.
Thanks to this song I bought my Minimoog in 1972, which I still keep…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89g1P_J40JA
What else can I say?
I will miss Keith Emerson forever.
I always will listen to all his masterpieces, which will always be a source of inspiration.
I will remember him for his piano technique, his genius and his stage presence.
Ciao Keith…
-Claudio Simonetti
