Former King Crimson frontman Greg Lake has died aged 69, his manager has confirmed.

The musician, who was also part of progressive rock group Emerson, Lake and Palmer, died on December 7th after suffering from cancer.

His manager, Stewart Young, wrote on Lake's official website: "I lost my best friend to a long and stubborn battle with cancer.

“Greg Lake will stay in my heart forever, as he has always been.

“His family would be grateful for privacy during this time of their grief.”

His death comes nine months after that of former bandmate Keith Emerson.

A statement from King Crimson’s record label, DGM Live, said they sent their “condolences and respects to Greg’s family”.

Lake was deemed a giant of progressive rock for his work with King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

Formed in 1967, King Crimson were seminal in the genre, with 1969’s In The Court Of The Crimson King deemed their most successful and influential album.

Supergroup

After Lake struck up a friendship with Emerson - at the time a keyboardist for The Nice - the pair teamed up and recruited Carl Palmer to form the prog supergroup in 1970.

The trio went on to sell more than 48 million records, with Lake producing a number of their studio albums.

He was born in Poole, Dorset, in November 1947.

According to his website, Lake last performed in 2013, during his Songs Of A Lifetime Tour.

PA