Bruce Palmer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bruce Palmer
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Palmer with Buffalo Springfield in 1966
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Bruce Clifford Palmer |
| Born | September 9, 1946 Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Died | October 1, 2004 (aged 58) Belleville, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Folk rock |
| Occupation(s) | Bassist |
| Years active | 1963–1971, 1977, 1982–1986 |
| Associated acts | Buffalo Springfield, The Mynah Birds, Robbie Lane & The Disciples, The Sparrows |
Bruce Palmer (September 9, 1946 – October 1, 2004) was a Canadian musician. He was best known as the bassist for the folk rock band Buffalo Springfield. This band was honored in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
Contents
Bruce Palmer's Early Life and Music
Bruce Palmer was born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada. His family later moved to Toronto, Ontario. In the early 1960s, he started his music career. He first played with a group called Robbie Lane & The Disciples. Then he joined a local band with Billy Clarkson. After that, he played with Jack London & The Sparrows. This band later became Steppenwolf after Palmer left.
In 1965, Bruce joined The Mynah Birds. Here, he met Neil Young, who played lead guitar. The Mynah Birds were a promising band. They even signed with Motown Records. However, the band faced problems when it was discovered that their singer, Rick James, had legal issues. This caused the band to break up.
After The Mynah Birds disbanded, Neil Young and Bruce Palmer traveled to Los Angeles. They hoped to meet Stephen Stills, another musician Young knew. Amazingly, they met Stills by chance on Sunset Boulevard. Stills saw their Canadian license plates and recognized them. Soon after, they all met up and decided to form a new band. This band became Buffalo Springfield.
Playing Bass with Buffalo Springfield
The new band, Buffalo Springfield, included Neil Young, Bruce Palmer, Stephen Stills, Dewey Martin on drums, and Richie Furay on rhythm guitar and vocals. The band had one big national hit song, "For What It's Worth." This song was written and sung by Stephen Stills. In Los Angeles, Buffalo Springfield was very popular. Only bands like The Byrds and The Doors were as well-known. They also had other popular songs like "Blue Bird" and "Mr Soul."
Bruce Palmer faced legal challenges during his time with the band. These issues led to him being deported from the U.S. in January 1967. While he was gone, other bassists like Jim Fielder and Ken Koblun filled in. Neil Young also left the group for a short time. Buffalo Springfield played at the famous Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967. During this time, Doug Hastings and David Crosby played in place of Young.
In May 1967, Palmer returned to the U.S. He came back disguised as a businessman. He rejoined the band, and Neil Young also returned. However, the band still used other musicians for bass. Bruce continued to have legal troubles. In January 1968, he was removed from the band for good. Jim Messina became the new bassist. Bruce was deported again in March. Buffalo Springfield broke up on May 5, 1968, after a final concert.
Bruce Palmer's Later Music Career
In the summer of 1969, Bruce Palmer briefly played bass for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. He was soon replaced by Greg Reeves. In Toronto, he also played with Luke & The Apostles in 1970.
In 1971, Bruce Palmer released his only solo album, The Cycle Is Complete. This album was very experimental. It featured long musical jams. Other musicians from the band Kaleidoscope played on it. Rick James also contributed some jazzy vocals. The album was not a big commercial success. After this, Palmer seemed to step away from music for a while.
In 1977, Bruce joined a Toronto band called Village. He played with Keith McKie and Stan Endersby. From 1982 to 1983, Palmer was the bassist in Neil Young's Trans Band. They played concerts across America and Europe. You can see him in the film Neil Young in Berlin from 1982.
Bruce Palmer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. He was honored along with his bandmates from Buffalo Springfield.
Bruce Palmer's Personal Life and Passing
Bruce Palmer was married three times and had three children.
He passed away from a heart attack on October 1, 2004. He was 58 years old. His death happened in Belleville, Ontario, Canada.
Discography
- The Cycle Is Complete (1970, Verve Forecast)
