Robert Palmer Pop singer Date of Birth: 19.01.1949 Country: Great Britain

1. Robert Palmer: A Biography
2. Early Life and Career
3. The Power Station and Solo Success
4. Later Years and Legacy

Robert Palmer: A Biography

Robert Palmer, the blue-eyed soul singer, had a career that was unconventional. While his early works were praised for their harmonious blend of rock, rhythm and blues, and reggae, his records did not sell well and he gained recognition as a pop singer who performed less quality songs. However, by the mid-80s, Palmer became a star, owed more to his music videos than the strength of his material. His videos featured him as a well-groomed gentleman, always in a suit and tie, performing his songs with an orchestra of attractive women, to the delight of MTV viewers who made him one of the channel's most successful stars.

Early Life and Career

Alan Palmer was born on January 19, 1949, in Batley, England. He spent most of his childhood on the island of Malta, where he lived with his parents. At the age of 19, he returned to his homeland to sing in the Ian Bown Set. A year later, Palmer joined Dada, a soul group that soon changed its name to Vinegar Joe. After releasing three albums with Vinegar Joe (1972), Rock'n'Roll Gypsies (1972), and Six Star General (1973), Palmer decided to pursue a solo career and left the group. His first solo album, Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley, was recorded with members of Little Feat and the Meters. In his next album, Pressure Drop (1975), he experimented with reggae.

After moving to Nassau, Palmer continued his efforts with the album Double Fun (1978), which included his first hit, "Every Kinda People." Determined to strike while the iron was hot, he released the album Secrets in the following year, where he served as the producer. The album showed that Palmer was interested in exploring more rock-oriented territory. It featured the rock-infused single "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)." His next album, Clues (1980), recorded with pioneers of the synth-pop genre Gary Numan and Chris Frantz of Talking Heads, had a synth-pop sound and produced another club hit, "Looking for Clues."

The Power Station and Solo Success

After the album Pride (1983), Palmer joined the side project Power Station, formed by members of the supergroup Duran Duran, as the lead vocalist. The Power Station consisted of guitarists John and Andy Taylor and drummer Tony Thompson, a former member of Chic. Originally, John's girlfriend was supposed to be the lead singer, but after a falling out, it was decided to work with Palmer instead. The results were so promising that instead of releasing the planned two singles, they recorded a full-length album. The self-titled album, a pop-rock style, went gold, and the singles "Some Like It Hot" and "Get It On" (a cover of T. Rex's song) became hits on both sides of the ocean. This album marked Palmer's return to his rock roots. However, just a few days before the planned tour, he left the group to record his next solo album, Riptide (1985). The album consisted of soft guitar rock songs, and one of them, "Addicted to Love," became a hit that topped the charts for a long time and ranked tenth in the TOP100 USA at the end of the year. The music video for this song was the first in a series that created his signature style, featuring him as a bon vivant surrounded by beautiful women.

The disbanded members of The Power Station, after unsuccessful attempts to find a replacement lead singer (including offers to Paul Young, who had just released the hit "Everytime You Go Away"), settled on former Silverhead frontman Michael Des Barres and even appeared in this lineup at the Live Aid charity festival in July 1985. However, after completing their planned tour, The Power Station ultimately disbanded, while Palmer's solo career reached its peak. His subsequent big hits, "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" and "Simply Irresistible," from the album Heavy Nova (1988), continued to promote his sex symbol image. In the album Don't Explain (1990), Palmer returned to the eclectic style of his early works without the sexualized videos. But in his next album, Ridin' High (1992), he returned to familiar territory.

Later Years and Legacy

Two years later, the trends in global music found their embodiment in his album Honey, where the guitarist was Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme. In 1996, he rejoined The Power Station, which decided to reunite. This attempt, to the disappointment of the project members, was unsuccessful: the album Living in Fear did not replicate the success of its predecessor, despite the increasing interest in retro music. The group disbanded once again. Woke Up Laughing followed in 1998, a very unusual album that included a collection of Palmer's old non-hit works remixed and, in some cases, re-recorded. The pop music-style album Rhythm & Blues was released the following year, boosting sales and receiving positive reviews from critics.

After the live album in 2001, his final blues-infused work, Drive, was released in 2003. However, he had little time to appreciate the fruits of his labor. On September 26, 2003, during a tour in France, Robert Palmer unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack. He was 54 years old.