Emerson, Lake & Powell

by Jason AnkenyAlthough the ELP acronym remained the same, Emerson, Lake and Powell otherwise failed to recreate the creative or commercial excitement of the earlier progressive rock trio which featured drummer Carl Palmer instead of Cozy Powell. After the original ELP lineup disbanded in 1979, keyboardist Keith Emerson composed a series of film scores, while bassist Greg Lake pursued a solo career; however, in the wake of the hugely successful comeback of longtime prog-rock rivals Yes, Emerson and Lake agreed to reunite, although Palmer — now a member of Asia — declined the offer. Drummer Powell, a veteran of such hard rock outfits as Rainbow, Whitesnake, and Black Sabbath, was tapped as Palmers replacement, and in 1986 the trio issued a self-titled LP which cracked the U.S. Top 40, spurred on by the minor hit Touch and Go. However, the famously mercurial Powell left the new ELP before the year was out, and with his departure Emerson and Lakes reunion ground to an abrupt halt (at least until 1991, when Palmer finally re-entered the fold). Powell died April 5, 1998 of injuries sustained in an auto accident.