'You Are Everything to Me'

My life with David, by Sandie Knights, his wife and soul mate

Sandie Knights thoughtfully notified 'Beyond the Pale' on 14 July of the death of her husband David, on 26 June 2026. In ensuing communication we indicated that fans would surely be glad to know a little more about the somewhat elusive bass-player whose melodic and subtle playing had been such a distinctive asset on Procol Harum's first three albums.

Imagine our surprise – and delight – to receive the extraordinary testament you're about to read below. 'Lightning bolts shot through me!' ... 'I was too shy to go backstage' ... ‘You will have him one day!’ ... 'Our first kiss was divine!' ... 'And he did not like being called ‘Dave’!'

Doubtless many fans have, over the years, entertained 'red crystal fantasies' about moving in with someone they've first seen on stage, and it probably hasn't always ended happily. Read on, for Sandie and David's quintessential and perfectly-fulfilled version of that narrative.

I first found David in February 1969. My friend and I came from Minneapolis. We had been to England the summer before, enjoying the Beatles, and English music scene, and looking for our future partners. We couldn’t get work permits and had to return to Minneapolis. During that time, a DJ on the radio had discovered Procol Harum, and their iconic album Shine on Brightly, which he played every night at 11.30pm. I was mesmerised, and took the radio into the bathroom, held it in my arms, and cried all the way through the last half, In Held ’Twas in I. When I heard Procol Harum were touring and playing in Minneapolis, I got a ticket, and went to the concert. Everyone sat on the floor, and there was a heady scent of ‘something’ going on.

I was about halfway back. When they walked on stage – the first, the second, and then the third (who I later found out was David Knights). He was tall and slim, and dressed all in black. Lightning bolts shot through me! My heart nearly stopped! I knew at that moment, that he was the one I had been searching for! I knew he was my soul mate! Needless to say, I cried all the way through their performance of their album Shine on Brightly, my eyes on him the whole time. I was too shy to go backstage. The day after, I went to the record shop where I worked in downtown Minneapolis, to buy Shine on Brightly, and was told they had been in, earlier! Damn! I missed them! On the album cover, I found out his name, and imagined myself as Sandie Knights!

Three months later, my friend and I got our work permits, and came back to England, where I tried to work out how to meet him. People thought I was crazy! I wasn’t the most beautiful girl around; ‘Whyever would he want someone like you?’ they said. I wrote to Melody Maker, asking if anyone knew his phone number. Someone knew Keith Reid’s address. I wrote to Keith, but no reply. I wrote again, saying ‘There is something urgent I need to speak to David about!’ This time he sent me David’s phone number.

I nervously rang him, and asked if I could meet him. He said he had left Procol Harum. That didn’t matter to me. He said he would come around. Suddenly there he was, sitting next to me! My prince! My soul mate! I was so nervous I could hardly speak! He was the most beautiful person I had ever seen! He was very polite, and had a lovely sense of humour. After what seemed like less than half an hour, he left. I watched through the upstairs window, as he walked away, tears streaming down my face. I looked up into the sky, and a voice from somewhere said ‘You will have him one day!’

I rang David again, asking if I could have his address, so I could write to him. Surprisingly, he gave it to me. So, I wrote to him. I never told him I loved him, apart from signing ‘Love, Sandie’. I wrote about my life, and asked questions about his. I wrote to him for three years, and sent him cards for his birthday and Christmas. He never answered back. I would never have given up. I saw him a couple of times at clubs, and sat in the corner crying, afraid to approach him. Then one magical day, when the planets were in a favourable position (I later became an astrologer, so I was able to look back on this), I had a letter from him, saying ‘Perhaps we could meet again.’ Oh my God!

I immediately rang him and arranged a date!

David came to my bedsit in June 1972. He had the most beautiful eyes, and hair! After he went out to get a bottle of wine to calm our nerves, we had an amazing night! Our first kiss was divine! He made it clear that once he commits to someone, he expects the same loyalty. There was no problem there! I was thrilled that this amazing man wanted me! Weeks turned into months, then years. We were together for our first nine years, with him staying at mine on the week-ends. When I brought up the subject of marriage, he said ‘I don’t feel the need to be married!’

Around 1974, David formed a group called Ruby. They made one album. Unfortunately, the album was never released, but somehow managed to be uploaded on to YouTube. Among the four or five songs he wrote for the album was a very beautiful song called You Are Everything to Me which can be heard [25:07]along with the others, on YouTube, under Ruby Red Crystal Fantasies. After that, he went into Management, and Contract Negotiation, where he was very well respected. He was known for being a strong negotiator, and very fair. He worked hard for the artists he represented.

In 1980 he bought a house in North London, which we worked on, and we moved in together. We got married in June 1981, on the ninth anniversary of our first meeting, and I finally became Mrs Sandie Knights! At our wedding, which took place at a small Spiritualist church (my choice), there were forty guests, among them people from the music business whom he’d managed or worked with, including Christopher Rainbow, David Painton, John Abbot, Dennis Weinreich [Procol's producer for Novum], Roger Simson and Irving Spellman.

We eventually moved out to Hertfordshire. Neither of us wanted children (we had cats instead). Like most couples, we had our differences. He didn’t like going on holiday; being a Cancerian, he loved being at home. We did have four holidays, in our total of 54 years together, 45 years married. He wasn’t happy away from home, but he knew I enjoyed holidays, so he let me go with a friend. David was a vegetarian, and I was not, but that wasn’t really a problem. One thing I really respected him for is that he never took drugs, apart from a couple of occasions where there was the odd joint which we shared. He did smoke and drink. David had very strong will power, and decided to stop smoking, and some years later he stopped drinking.

Through it all, we loved each other dearly, and were always loyal to each other. He was a wonderful husband, kind, loving, thoughtful, devoted, and very generous. He loved buying me things. And what a quirky sense of humour! No one could make me laugh the way he did (see the photos I am sending: by the way, all photos of us were taken by ourselves  – apart from our wedding – by setting up a camera on a tripod.)

Two additional things about David – he was always well dressed, and took great pride in his appearance. And he did not like being called ‘Dave’!

David was never one to boast, but he was proud of his achievements, both in Procol Harum and on the business side. He loved playing the bass guitar. He loved the deep tones. He and I still listened to A Whiter Shade of Pale, and the three albums he played on, Procol Harum, Shine on Brightly (still my favourite!), and A Salty Dog, right up until he went into hospital. Although David had not played the bass for many years, he remembered all the notes and chords, as he listened to each song. David had an intracerebral haemorrhage stroke in 2023. It affected his legs, and there were other complications that developed. Three years later I also became ill with swelling painful legs and feet, and we both went into hospital in April 2026.

When the nurses found out that David played the bass guitar on A Whiter Shade of Pale, it caused quite a buzz, and they played the song on his tablet for him, all listening along! When I came out of hospital, I was no longer able to take care of him, as I still had problems with my feet and legs, and his legs had got weaker, so he was transferred to a nursing home. The last time I saw him, before he passed away, was in the nursing home, on our forty-fifth Anniversary, where we had cakes, chocolates, strawberries, and Pepsi Max Cherry, our favourite drink. He passed away thirteen days later, two days away from his 81st birthday, with me lying by his side, holding him. He truly was my soul mate, and I miss him terribly.

Soon this link will go live and you'll be able to enjoy many more pictures from Sandie and David

Main page about David Knights