Robert Palmer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Palmer
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Allen Palmer |
| Born | 19 January 1949 Batley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 26 September 2003 (aged 54) Paris, France |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1964–2003 |
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Robert Allen Palmer (born January 19, 1949 – died September 26, 2003) was a talented British musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He became famous for his unique blend of rock, pop, soul, and blues music. Robert Palmer released many popular songs during the 1970s and 1980s. Some of his biggest hits include Addicted to Love and "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)".
Throughout his amazing career, Palmer won several important awards. These included two Grammy Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. He also received an MTV Video Music Award and was nominated twice for the BRIT Award for Best British Male.
Contents
Robert Palmer's Musical Journey
Early Bands and First Steps
Robert Palmer was born in 1949 in Batley, England. When he was just a baby, his family moved to Malta. His father worked there for the British navy. Growing up, Robert loved listening to blues, soul, and jazz music. He heard these styles on American Forces Radio. His parents' favorite music also helped shape his taste.
As a teenager, Palmer moved to Scarborough, England. He joined his first band, the Mandrakes, when he was only 15. This was while he was still in high school. His first big chance came in 1969. The singer of the band The Alan Bown Set left. Robert was then asked to come to London to sing on their song "Gypsy Girl".
In 1970, Palmer joined a 12-person jazz-rock band called Dada. This band included singer Elkie Brooks. After a year, Palmer, Brooks, and her husband formed a new soul and rock band called Vinegar Joe. In this band, Robert played rhythm guitar. He also shared the main singing duties with Elkie Brooks. Vinegar Joe released three albums with Island Records. These were Vinegar Joe (1972), Rock 'n' Roll Gypsies (1972), and Six Star General (1973). The band broke up in 1974.
Starting a Solo Career (1974-1984)
Island Records offered Robert Palmer a solo music deal in 1974. His first solo album was called Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley. He recorded it in 1974 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The album was greatly inspired by the music of Little Feat and the Meters. The Meters even played as his backing band on the album. While not a big hit in the UK, the album and its first song did well in the US.
After moving to New York City, Palmer released Pressure Drop in 1975. This album was named after a reggae song he covered by Toots and the Maytals. He then went on tour with Little Feat to promote this album, which mixed reggae and rock music.
After his next album, Some People Can Do What They Like, didn't do as well, Palmer moved to Nassau, Bahamas. He lived right across from Compass Point Studios.
In 1978, he released Double Fun. This album featured rock music with a Caribbean feel. It included a cover of "You Really Got Me". The album became a Top 50 hit in the US. The song "Every Kinda People" became a Top 20 single. Many other artists have covered this song.
Palmer's next album, Secrets (1979), focused more on pure rock. It gave him his second Top 20 hit with "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)". This song reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The 1980s brought Robert Palmer even more success. He also became more comfortable producing music for other artists. For example, he produced Jamaican ska legend Desmond Dekker's 1981 album Compass Point. Palmer's album Clues (1980) had hits on both sides of the Atlantic. These included "Johnny and Mary" and "Looking for Clues". The cool music videos for these synth-pop and new wave songs helped him reach younger fans. He had similar success with his 1982 EP, Some Guys Have All the Luck.
In April 1983, Palmer released Pride. This album featured the title song and his cover of the System's "You Are in My System". In May 1983, Palmer's concert at the Hammersmith Palais was recorded and played on BBC Radio 1. In July 1983, he performed at a charity concert for Duran Duran. There, he became friends with members of Duran Duran. This friendship later led to the creation of the supergroup The Power Station.
The Power Station and MTV Success (1985-1997)
When the band Duran Duran took a break, their guitarist Andy Taylor and bassist John Taylor teamed up with former Chic drummer Tony Thompson and Robert Palmer. They formed the band The Power Station. Their first album, also called The Power Station, was a big hit. It reached the Top 20 in the UK and the Top 10 in the US. The album had two hit songs: "Some Like It Hot" and a cover of the T. Rex song "Get It On (Bang a Gong)". Robert Palmer only performed live with the band once, on Saturday Night Live. He then decided to focus on his solo career.
Palmer recorded his album Riptide in 1985. He asked Tony Thompson and Andy Taylor from The Power Station to play on some songs. This album featured his most famous song, "Addicted to Love". This song reached number 1 in the United States and number 5 in the United Kingdom. The music video for "Addicted to Love" was very famous and often copied. In the video, Palmer sings while surrounded by female models pretending to be musicians. In 1987, he won a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Addicted to Love". He was also nominated for Best British Male at the Brit Awards.
Another song from Riptide, his cover of Cherrelle's "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On", also did very well. It reached number 2 in the US and number 9 in the UK.
In 1987, Palmer moved to Lugano, Switzerland, and built his own recording studio. In 1988, he released Heavy Nova. With this album, Palmer tried new things again. He mixed bossa nova rhythms with heavy rock and soul ballads. He had another hit video for "Simply Irresistible", again featuring female "musicians". This song reached number 2 in the US. The song "She Makes My Day" was also a hit in the UK, reaching number 6. In 1989, he won his second Grammy for "Simply Irresistible". Rolling Stone magazine even voted Palmer the best-dressed rock star in 1990.
Palmer explored even more musical styles for his next album, Don't Explain (1990). It included two UK top 10 hits. These were covers of Bob Dylan's "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" (with UB40) and Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me". Throughout the 1990s, Palmer continued to try different kinds of music. His 1992 album Ridin' High was a tribute to classic American songs.
In 1994, Palmer released Honey. While it didn't have any big hits in the US, he did have success in the UK. Three songs from the album became modest hits: "Girl U Want", "Know by Now," and "You Blow Me Away".
In 1995, Palmer released a greatest hits album, which reached number 4 in the UK. Also in 1995, he got back together with members of The Power Station to record a second album. They completed the album Living in Fear (1996).
In 1997, Palmer performed with Rod Stewart at Wembley.
Robert Palmer's Family Life
Robert Palmer was married to Shelly Putman in 1972. They had three children: Anthony, Anna, and Martin. They divorced in 1978. In 1979, Robert Palmer married Susan Eileen Thatcher. They had two children together: James and Jane. They divorced in 1999. In 1993, Palmer moved from the Bahamas to Lugano, Switzerland. At the time of his death, his companion was Mary Ambrose.
Later Life and Passing
Robert Palmer moved to Lugano, Switzerland, in 1986. He became a Swiss citizen in 1993 and lived there until he passed away.
He died in Paris, France, from a heart attack on September 26, 2003. He was 54 years old. He was on vacation with his friend, Jack Bruce, and promoting his newest album, Drive, just before he died.
He was survived by his parents, Leslie and Anna Palmer, his fiancée Geraldine Edwards, his brother, Mark Palmer, and his children, James, Jane, Anthony, Anna, and Martin.
Images for kids
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Robert Palmer in 1985
