Keith Emerson, the co-founder and keyboardist of progressive rock group Emerson, Lake and Palmer, has died aged 71.

Keith Emerson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to Santa Monica police confirmed. His death was being investigated as a suicide, police added.

“We regret to announce that Keith Emerson died last night at his home in Santa Monica, Los Angeles,” read a statement on the band’s Facebook page. Former band mate Carl Palmer said: “I am deeply saddened to learn of the keith emersonpassing of my good friend and brother-in-music, Keith Emerson. Keith was a gentle soul whose love for music and passion for his performance as a keyboard player will remain unmatched for many years to come. I will always remember his warm smile, good sense of humour, compelling showmanship, and dedication to his musical craft.”
Inspired by Jimi Hendrix’s stage craft and theatrics with the electric guitar, Keith Emerson was famous for his showmanship and outlandish on-stage performance style.

Emerson Lake and Palmer built up a loyal international following, particularly popular in the UK and Japan. As a Prog Rock band  they will be best remembered for their albums, in particular Tarkus, Trilogy, and Brain Salad Surgery which all reached the top five in the UK chart. That said Emerson Lake and Palmer had a notable single success with Fanfare for the Common Man which reached No2 in British singles chart in 1977.

Before Emerson Lake and Palmer , Keith Emerson was a member of The Nice, which formed in 1967 but disbanded three years later.