Keith Emerson, the flamboyant yet accomplished keyboardist who pioneered the use of synthesisers in rock music, was found dead Friday in an apparent suicide. He was 71. The English virtuoso, who became famous for his dazzling stage feats with band Emerson, Lake and Palmer, died from a bullet wound to his head at his condominium in the Los Angeles area, police said. His longtime girlfriend, Mari Kawaguchi, called police at 1:30 am (0930 GMT). "It is being investigated as a suicide," said Sergeant Erika Aklufi, a police spokeswoman in oceanside Santa Monica.
Former bandmate Carl Palmer mourned Emerson as "a pioneer and an innovator whose musical genius touched all of us in the worlds of rock, classical and jazz." "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," Palmer said in a statement.