Founder and keyboardist of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Keith Emerson, has died at the age of 71.
The progressive rock star—called “one of the greatest keyboardists of his generation” by “Rolling Stone“—passed away late on March 10, in Santa Monica, California. The influential musician’s death appears sudden, as he was due to tour in Japan throughout April 2016.
On March 15, the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office pronounced Emerson’s death a suicide. According to Billboard, the autopsy reveals Emerson died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and was suffering from heart disease.
Mari Kawaguchi, Emerson’s long-term partner, spoke with “The Daily Mail“ on March 14.
She told the British tabloid that Emerson’s “right hand and arm had given him problems for years. He had an operation a few years ago to take out a bad muscle but the pain and nerve issues in his right hand were getting worse.
