Keith Reid was a British lyrist and songwriter known to have composed all the songs released by the Procol Harum band until 2017. He was married to Pinkey Sindhu until his unfortunate demise at the age of 76 on March 23, 2023, after a long battle with cancer.
Having witnessed the fury of the Jewish Holocaust, Keith resolved to write songs as a way of expression. As such, his lyrics were accompanied by dark humor and transcended very deep passion. Since the emersion of the group in 1967, they have recorded at least 12 albums and are renowed for their debut single A Whiter Shade of Pale and songs like Homburg (1967), Conquistador (1972), and The Salty Dog (1974).
The Early life and Career of Keith Reid
The lyricist Keith Reid was born on October 19, 1946, and was raised in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England. While not so much information about his early life and family background is known, we garnered that he is of Jewish descent and his parents were Jewish Holocaust survivors who fled from Germany.
As for his education, he was schooled in London but left at the age of 15 to pursue his musical interest. He once stated that the sting of the holocaust inspired him to start writing.
As you would find, Keith is a songwriter who wrote all the songs of the Procol Harum band until 2017. Though he never performed with the group, reports from reliable sources assert that he founded the group with the vocalist and pianist Gary Brooker who passed on in Febuary 2022.
With the band, Keith wrote several songs which made up the 12 albums including Procol Harum (1967), A Salty Dog (1969), Shine On Brightly (1968), Something Magic (1977), The Prodigal Stanger (1991), Grand Hotel and The Long Goodbye (1995).
Asides from the band, he was also involved in other collaborations and projects. Keith co-wrote a song for the French singer Micheal Polnareff titled Time Will Tell (1966) and the Global Hit song You’re the Voice with the Australian singer, John Farnham.
The Lyricist Was Married to Pinkey Sindhu Until His Death
Even though Keith shielded his personal life from the public, we garnered that he was married to a woman identified as Pinkey Sindhu. While the information on how the pair crossed paths has not been disclosed, reliable sources report that they got married in 2004 and remained together until his demise in 2023.
More than just a wife, Pinkey was her husband’s support system and best friend. Throughout his fight with cancer, she remained by his side. Pinkey was also the first person to reveal the news of this death through an email. Its no doubt that the pair shared great companionship and he’ll be greatly missed.
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What Caused Keith Reid’s Death?
As revealed by the Procol Harum group, the lyricist died at the age of 76 after a long battle with cancer on March 23, 2023. According to the group, he battled the disease for several years and was undergoing treatment at a hospital in London where he died.
Following this, fans of the lyricist rushed to express how heartbreaking this left them and also share their condolences. True to several comments, Keith lived his life doing what he loved and his lyrics which were often deep decoded great meanings.
The late songwriter once described his song as something which is impressionistic. He also likened it to a painting in which one would always find new levels of meaning.
Here are 5 Quick Facts about Keith Reid
1. One of the songs he wrote with the late Gary titled A Whiter Shade of Pale was Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 and was listed as one of the most-played songs for 75 years.
2. Though being a co-founder of the Procol Harum band, he was never considered an official member. This was because he didn’t play an instrument and wasn’t part of their performances. Nonetheless, he released the 2008 album, The Common Thread, and the 2018 song In My Head under the Keith Reid Project banner
3. Keith Reid’s marriage of 38 years didn’t birth any child.
4. He owned a management firm in the mid-80s known as Full House and also dabbled into theatre production.
5. Reid once worked as a manager for other artists following the disbandment of Procol Harum in 1977.
