Robert Palmer

Robert Allen Palmer (19 January 1949 - 26 September 2003) was an English singer and songwriter. He was known for combining elements of soul, funk, jazz, rock, pop, reggae, and blues in his music. His 1986 single "Addicted to Love", together with its accompanying music video, became one of his best-known works. Palmer began his career in the 1960s, was a member of the band Vinegar Joe during the early 1970s, and achieved commercial success both as a solo artist and as a member of the Power Station during the 1980s. Read more on Last.fm

Robert Allen Palmer (19 January 1949 - 26 September 2003) was an English singer and songwriter. He was known for combining elements of soul, funk, jazz, rock, pop, reggae, and blues in his music. His 1986 single "Addicted to Love", together with its accompanying music video, became one of his best-known works. Palmer began his career in the 1960s, was a member of the band Vinegar Joe during the early 1970s, and achieved commercial success both as a solo artist and as a member of the Power Station during the 1980s. He received two Grammy Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, an MTV Video Music Award, and was nominated twice for the Brit Award for British Male Solo Artist. He died of a heart attack in 2003 at the age of 54. Palmer was born in Batley, England, in 1949. A few months after his birth, his family moved to Malta, where his father worked in British naval intelligence. During his childhood he was exposed to blues, soul, and jazz through American Forces Radio as well as his parents' record collection. The family returned to the United Kingdom when he was 12 years old. As a teenager Palmer moved to Scarborough, where he joined his first band, the Mandrakes, at the age of 15 while attending Scarborough High School for Boys. After obtaining six O-levels, he left school, briefly studied at Scarborough School of Art & Design, and later worked for the Scarborough Evening News. In 1969 Palmer replaced Jess Roden as vocalist for the Alan Bown Set, recording the single "Gypsy Girl" and re-recording the vocals for the album "The Alan Bown!". In 1970 he joined the jazz-rock fusion group Dada, which included Elkie Brooks and Pete Gage. A year later the three formed the soul and rock band Vinegar Joe. Palmer played rhythm guitar and shared lead vocal duties with Brooks. The band, signed to Island Records, released the albums "Vinegar Joe" (1972), "Rock 'n' Roll Gypsies" (1972), and "Six Star General" (1973) before disbanding in 1974. After Vinegar Joe split, Island Records signed Palmer as a solo artist. His debut album, "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley" (1974), was recorded in New Orleans with members of Little Feat and the Meters. Although it achieved limited commercial success in the United Kingdom, both the album and its title track reached the US charts. Following a move to New York City, Palmer released "Pressure Drop" (1975), which incorporated reggae influences and featured bassist James Jamerson. He toured with Little Feat to promote the album. After the commercial performance of "Some People Can Do What They Like", he relocated to Nassau, Bahamas, near Compass Point Studios. In 1978 Palmer released "Double Fun", which combined rock with Caribbean influences. The album reached the top 50 of the US Billboard chart and included the single "Every Kinda People", which became his first US top 20 hit and reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. His 1979 album "Secrets" marked a shift towards a more rock-oriented sound and included the hit "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)". The following year, "Clues" featured the singles "Johnny and Mary" and "Looking for Clues", both of which benefited from the growing popularity of music videos and new wave. In 1982 he released the EP "Some Guys Have All the Luck". During this period Palmer also worked as a producer, contributing to albums by Desmond Dekker and John Martyn. The 1983 album "Pride" included the title track and a cover of "You Are in My System". That year Palmer performed at a charity concert organised by members of Duran Duran, leading to the formation of the Power Station. During Duran Duran's hiatus, guitarist Andy Taylor, bassist John Taylor, drummer Tony Thompson, and Palmer formed the Power Station. Their self-titled debut album reached the top 20 in the United Kingdom and the top 10 in the United States. It included the hit singles "Some Like It Hot" and "Get It On (Bang a Gong)". Palmer appeared with the band on "Saturday Night Live" but did not participate in the subsequent tour or their performance at Live Aid, choosing instead to continue work on his solo career. In 1985 Palmer released "Riptide", recorded with contributions from Tony Thompson, Andy Taylor, and producer Bernard Edwards. The album included "Addicted to Love", which reached number one in the United States and number five in the United Kingdom. Its music video, directed by Terence Donovan, featured identically dressed female models portraying musicians and became widely recognised. Donovan also directed the videos for "Simply Irresistible" and "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On", which followed a similar visual style. Palmer won the 1987 Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Addicted to Love" and received his first Brit Award nomination for British Male Solo Artist. Another single from "Riptide", "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On", reached number two in the United States and number nine in the United Kingdom. The album also included "Trick Bag", written by Earl King. In 1987 Palmer moved to Lugano, Switzerland, established a recording studio, and signed with EMI. His 1988 album "Heavy Nova" combined elements of bossa nova, rock, and soul. It produced the hit singles "Simply Irresistible", which reached number two in the United States, and "She Makes My Day", which reached number six in the United Kingdom. Palmer received a second Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Simply Irresistible". The song was later featured in the musical "Contact". At the 1989 Brit Awards he was again nominated for British Male Solo Artist, while "Simply Irresistible" received a nomination for Best British Single. Palmer's 1990 album "Don't Explain" included UK top 10 cover versions of "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight", recorded with UB40, and "Mercy Mercy Me". He continued to explore different musical styles on "Ridin' High" (1992), which paid tribute to songs from the Tin Pan Alley era. In 1994 he released "Honey", which produced the UK singles "Girl U Want", "Know by Now", and "You Blow Me Away". A greatest hits compilation followed in 1995, reaching number four in the UK Albums Chart. The same year Palmer reunited with members of the Power Station to record "Living in Fear" (1996). During preparations for the accompanying tour, bassist Bernard Edwards died of pneumonia. In 1997 Palmer performed with Rod Stewart at Wembley. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Palmer Studio albums Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley (1974) Pressure Drop (1975) Some People Can Do What They Like (1976) Double Fun (1978) Secrets (1979) Clues (1980) Maybe It's Live (1982, half studio Tracks, half live) Pride (1983) Riptide (1985) Heavy Nova (1988) Don't Explain (1990) Ridin' High (1992) Honey (1994) Rhythm & Blues (1999) Drive (2003) Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.