Rock Legend Keith Emerson dies 11th March 2016. Memories of The Six Bells Chiddingly.

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photo: Surka

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35787187

Chris Giles… Terrible news another talented musician has passed away

Alan Esdaile… Very sad news. Another Giant Of Rock. R.I.P. Keith Emerson.

Dennis Torrance… R.l.P. Keith yet another sad loss what a year of people we love going one after another.

Chris Giles… I agree it’s quite shocking… I’ve never known a year like it .

Mike Curtis… Oh FFS. Enough’s enough!

Sheila Maile… Sad news

Mike Curtis… According to TMZ, the death of Keith Emerson is being investigated as a suicide.
Law enforcement sources tell the site the EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER keyboardist had a single gunshot wound to the head when his girlfriend found him in their home in Santa Monica, California.
Emerson had reportedly been suffering from a degenerative nerve disease in his right hand that meant he could only play the keyboards with eight fingers. As a result, he was struggling with depression.
Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/report-keith-emersons-death-investigated-as-suicide/#PAQLdx2RpsGoPFzO.99

Neil Cartwright…. A little Keith Emerson story.
Although I was more into ‘Yes’ during my sixth-form years, Keith Emerson was still a Superhero – so imagine the jaw-drop moment in Aug-Sept 1988 when I got a phone call from him. He was holding his son, Aaron’s 18th birthday party at The Six Bells in Chiddingly, and he wondered how much we’d charge to play – the Jez Gillett Band. Besides anything else, we had a decent PA system and he wondered if it would be all right if his band ‘Trio’ played as well. I asked for £100, which he agreed to. Come the evening, we’re setting up, and Keith comes over to me and says, ‘It looks like our bass player won’t make it – do you think you could stand in?’ Bang. The stuff of dreams coming true – mixed with blind panic. ‘Can you play ‘Fanfare’ and a few others?’  My mind is a blank. He produces some photocopied notes, which on a good day, I’d read – but tonight, they look like Chinese – so Keith writes the letters underneath for me, explains that it goes ‘Dunga Dunga Dunga Dunga’ and I pin it up to the middle beam in the Six Bells. We play – I’ve got photos, which I’ll dig out. There’s one, where Keith is yelling across at me in apparent ecstasy, obviously knocked out by my bass-playing. How easily the eye can be fooled. In reality, he’s yellin ‘EEEEE’ ……… because I’m still Dunga Dunga-ing on ‘C’ !!  But what a moment!  I’ll let Pete Prescott relate what happened after the gig.

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photos supplied by Neil Cartwright

Barry French… Very sad news. I love Neil’s story.

Mick O’Dowd… With all the talent now going upstairs and now with the greatest producer I wonder when we’ll get the album released.

Lucy Pappas… So sad to lose his ability.

Jacqueline Patton… what a great story Neil.

Lesley Brown…  Amazing experience! I would have loved to have been there!

Jim Breeds… Terrific story!

Pete Prescott… Remember the jam I had with him after the gig ?

Neil Cartwright… Exactly – that’s what I was referring to …. and the tap-dancing …. wasn’t Keith playing the piano backwards and you were pirouetting? Also, I’ve got a very strong feeling that the drummer was Carl Palmer (when it wasn’t Mick Burt!!). Do you remember? It looks like him on the photo.

Andy Qunta… RIP Keith. Sorry to hear about the passing of Keith Emerson. His brilliant keyboard playing & showmanship were a big influence on me when I started playing keyboards.

Phil Little… Excellent story and memory, Neil.

Pete Prescott… After the gig Keith Emerson was in the back bar at the piano. I sat next to him. We went through Summertime. (I was thinking “oval cricket ground Sep 72.i saw E.L.P along with 60,000 others! “) then he played flight of the bumblebee as I tapped danced. I jumped up and banged my head on a low beam. He thought that was the best part of the night. He stood on the keys of the piano facing out and bent down and played boogie woogie upside down (then fell off !).He played and sang jump you fucker jump. When he played piano I said can you play like Mrs Mills ? He did. Then I said Russ Conway ? He looked and gave the Russ Conway smile and did ! Then I said Oscar Peterson? He stopped and said ah ! But did. He was very funny (and very drunk).a very nice guy. Amazing night. Neil and i went home a very happy pair that night. It’s not often you meet a hero who turns out to be a great guy and have a night like that.I’ll never forget it. P.S. He also did a brilliant Les Dawson !

Chris Sambrook… First heard the Nice on Top Gear. To which later Peel commented on ELP “were a waste of talent and Electricity” Bought the first Nice album with my paper round money.  Too young to see the Nice live at the time. Saw ELP on their first British tour, at Brighton Dome 1970 and left speechless. I feel they had lost their way after Brain Salad Surgery. Taking an Orchestra on tour cost them a lot of their money. The other members of ELP said and documented on the DVD Near the Beginning “If it wasn’t for you and that bloody orchestra we would have been millionaires by now” In 1998 Emerson made a live album with Glenn Hughes and Marc Bonilla called the Boys Club Live in California with a cracking version of Tarkus. R.I.P Keith Noel Emerson.

Janine Anne Scott… Fabulous x

Andy Qunta… What a fantastic story, Neil! I love it!

Tony Davis… A very sad event but what a wonderful story and memory Neil and Pete have to share. RIP Keith.

Colin Fox… Keith Emerson as many people may know, lived in the little village of Chiddingly, East Sussex, and often used to play at one of my local pubs. Here he is playing in The Six Bells.

supplied by Colin Fox

Robert Searle… What a great story, Keith was such a great musician, thank you

Tim Moose Bruce… Loved it the night at the 6 Bells when he did Green Onions with the Johnny Mars band.

Pete Prescott… Tim, I think that’s when Forcefield started. Ray Fenwick got talking to Cozy Powell who was playing in ELP and was with Keith Emerson that night. Then he got the idea to record Smoke On The Water with him.

Kate Rosie… Brilliant! X

Bob Searle… Great story and photos

3 thoughts on “Rock Legend Keith Emerson dies 11th March 2016. Memories of The Six Bells Chiddingly.”

  1. First heard the Nice on Top Gear. To which later Peel commented on ELP “where a waste of talent and Electricity” Bought the first Nice album with my paper round money. To young to see the Nice live at the time. Saw ELP on their first British tour, at Brighton Dome 1970 and left speechless. I feel they had lost their way after Brain Salad Surgery. Taking an Orchestra on tour cost them a lot of their money. The other members of ELP said and documented on the DVD Near the Beginning “If it wasn’t for you and that bloody orchestra we would have been millionaires by now” In 1998 Emerson made a live album with Glenn Hughes and Marc Bonilla called the Boys Club Live in California with a cracking version of Tarkus.

    R.I.P Keith Noel Emerson

    Reply

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