Editing Keith Emerson (section)

==Early life==
Emerson was born on 2 November 1944 in [[Todmorden]], West Riding of Yorkshire. The family had been evacuated from southern England during World War II, after which they returned south and settled in [[Goring-by-Sea]], West Sussex.<ref name="hanson">{{cite book|last=Hanson|first=Martyn|title=Hang on to a Dream: The Story of The Nice|date=2002 | publisher=[[Helter Skelter (books)|Helter Skelter Publishing]]|location=[[London]] |isbn=978-1-900924-43-6}}</ref>{{page needed|date=July 2016}} Emerson attended West Tarring School (now [[Thomas A’Becket Middle School, Worthing, West Sussex|Thomas A’Becket Middle School]]) in [[Tarring, West Sussex|Tarring]].<ref name=WorthingDaily>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=21 July 2013 |title=Worthing's Got Talent |url=http://worthingdaily.co.uk/your-comment/worthings-got-talent/ |newspaper=Worthing Daily |location=[[Worthing]], [[West Sussex]] |access-date=19 March 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313033714/http://worthingdaily.co.uk/your-comment/worthings-got-talent/ |archive-date=13 March 2016 }}</ref> His mother Dorothy was not musical, but his father Noel was an amateur pianist and taught Emerson basic piano. When Emerson was eight, his parents arranged formal tuition, learning to play and read music with "local little old ladies" until he was around thirteen, with whom he studied to [[ABRSM]] Grade 7.<ref name=EMM83>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/keith-emerson/5998|title=Keith Emerson|first=Keith|last=Emerson|magazine=Electronics & Music Maker|date=May 1983|via=Muzines|access-date=28 June 2021}}</ref><ref name=hollyq /><ref>{{cite book |last1=Emerson |first1=Keith |title=Pictures of an Exhibitionist |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xS8UAQAAIAAJ |date=2004 |publisher=John Blake |location=London |isbn=1844540537 |page=21}}</ref><ref name=milano>{{cite book |last=Milano |first=Domenic |editor-last=Rideout |editor-first=Ernie |title=Keyboard Presents Classic Rock |publisher=[[Hal Leonard Corporation|Backbeat Books]] |location=[[New York City]] |date=2010 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/keyboardpresents0000unse/page/173 173–183] |chapter=Keith Emerson: It's Good to Be the King of Prog Rock |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hVTa5OhJvBgC&pg=PA173 |isbn=978-0-87930-952-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/keyboardpresents0000unse/page/173 }}</ref> Emerson's teacher put him in competitions at the Worthing Music Festival and suggested he finish studying music in London, but Emerson had little interest in classical music at the time and chose jazz piano.<ref name=EMM83/> His studies in [[Western classical music]] largely inspired his own style in his professional career which often incorporated jazz and rock elements.<ref name=varietyobit />

Although Emerson did not own a record player, he enjoyed listening to music on the radio, particularly [[Floyd Cramer]]'s 1961 [[appoggiatura|slip note-style]] "[[On the Rebound]]" and the work of [[Dudley Moore]]. He used jazz sheet music from [[Dave Brubeck]] and [[George Shearing]] and learned about jazz piano from books and [[Andre Previn]]'s version of ''[[My Fair Lady]]''.<ref name=EMM83/> He also listened to [[boogie-woogie]], and to [[country music|country-style]] pianists including [[Joe "Mr Piano" Henderson]], [[Russ Conway]] and [[Winifred Atwell]]. Emerson later described himself: "I was a very serious child. I used to walk around with [[Piano sonatas (Beethoven)|Beethoven sonatas]] under my arm. However, I was very good at avoiding being beaten up by the bullies. That was because I could also play [[Jerry Lee Lewis]] and [[Little Richard]] songs. So, they thought I was kind of cool and left me alone."<ref name=hollyq />

Emerson became interested in the [[Hammond organ]] after hearing jazz organist [[Jack McDuff]] perform "Rock Candy", and the Hammond became his instrument of choice in the late 1960s. Emerson acquired his first Hammond organ, an L-100 model, at the age of 15 or 16, on [[hire purchase]] and a loan from his father.<ref>{{Citation|last=Fortner|first=Stephen|title=Keith Emerson Interviewed by You|magazine=[[Keyboard Magazine]]|date=December 2010}}</ref><ref name=OTT84>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/emerson/8455|title=Emerson|first=Paul|last=Colbert|magazine=One Two Testing|date=July 1984|via=Muzines|access-date=28 June 2021}}</ref> He had saved money to buy a Bird electric organ with built-in speakers on each side, but then spotted a Hammond in the shop and thought it was a better purchase.<ref name=EMM83/> Emerson's initial plan was for a non-musical career while playing the piano on the side. Upon leaving school he worked at [[Lloyds Bank|Lloyds Bank Registrars]] where he played the piano in the bar at lunch times and local pubs at nights. He was ultimately fired from the bank.<ref name=P72/><ref name=WorthingDaily/> Emerson played in a local 20-piece swing band run by [[Worthing Borough Council|Worthing Council]], performing [[Count Basie]] and [[Duke Ellington]] tunes. This led to the formation of the Keith Emerson Trio, with the group's drummer and bassist.<ref name=EMM83/>