Greg Lake

British musician

Also known as: Gregory Stuart Lake

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

Greg Lake was a British musician, best known as a founding member of the progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP). Before ELP, Lake was the bassist and lead singer for King Crimson from 1968 to 1969. ELP, formed in 1970, was known for its innovative style that blended classical music, jazz, blues, and electronic music, with a focus on synthesizer keyboards rather than guitars. The band released numerous albums, featuring elaborate original compositions and imaginative covers of classical pieces, showcasing great technical virtuosity. ELP disbanded in 1979 but reunited in the early 1990s.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

art rock
…Steve Howe (Yes and Asia), Greg Lake (King Crimson and ELP), and John Wetton (King Crimson, U.K., and Asia). Some of the experimental rock by such American and British artists as Laurie Anderson, David Bowie, Brian Eno, the Velvet Underground, and Frank Zappa is also often categorized as art rock.
Read More
…Steve Howe (Yes and Asia), Greg Lake (King Crimson and ELP), and John Wetton (King Crimson, U.K., and Asia). Some of the experimental rock by such American and British artists as Laurie Anderson, David Bowie, Brian Eno, the Velvet Underground, and Frank Zappa is also often categorized as art rock.
Read More

Emerson, Lake & Palmer
), Greg Lake (b. November 10, 1947, Poole, Dorset, England—d. December 7, 2016), and Carl Palmer (b. March 20, 1950, Birmingham, England).
Read More
), Greg Lake (b. November 10, 1947, Poole, Dorset, England—d. December 7, 2016), and Carl Palmer (b. March 20, 1950, Birmingham, England).
Read More

King Crimson
…Giles on drums and vocals; Greg Lake on bass, guitar, and vocals; Ian McDonald on keyboard, Mellotron, vibraphone, woodwind instruments, and vocals; and Peter Sinfield as lyricist and spoken-word artist. Over the years, however, many musicians performed as part of King Crimson.
Read More
…Giles on drums and vocals; Greg Lake on bass, guitar, and vocals; Ian McDonald on keyboard, Mellotron, vibraphone, woodwind instruments, and vocals; and Peter Sinfield as lyricist and spoken-word artist. Over the years, however, many musicians performed as part of King Crimson.
Read More