Robert Palmer

This article is about the English singer. For other people named Robert Palmer, see Robert Palmer.

Robert Palmer
Palmer singing into a microphone onstage
Palmer in 1986
Background information
Birth nameRobert Allen Palmer
Born(1949-01-19)19 January 1949
Batley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died26 September 2003(2003-09-26) (aged 54)
Paris, France
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active1964–2003
Labels
Formerly of
Spouse
Susan Eileen Thatcher
​
​
(m. 1971; div. 1993)​

Robert Allen Palmer (19 January 1949 – 26 September 2003) was an English singer and songwriter. He was known for his powerful and soulful voice, his sartorial elegance, and his stylistic explorations, combining soul, funk, jazz, rock, pop, reggae, and blues. His 1986 song "Addicted to Love" and its accompanying video came to "epitomise the glamour and excesses of the 1980s".[1]

Having started in the music industry in the 1960s, including a spell with Vinegar Joe, Palmer found success in the 1980s, both in his solo career and with the Power Station, scoring Top 10 hits in the United Kingdom and the United States.[2][3] Three of his hit singles, including "Addicted to Love", featured music videos directed by British fashion photographer Terence Donovan.[4]

Palmer received a number of awards throughout his career, including two Grammy Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance and an MTV Video Music Award. He was also nominated for the Brit Award for British Male Solo Artist in 1987 and 1989.[5][6] He died from a heart attack aged 54.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference TelegraphObit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 415–416. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. ^ Roberts, David (1998). Guinness Rockopedia (1st ed.). London: Guinness Publishing Ltd. p. 307. ISBN 0-85112-072-5.
  4. ^ "Addicted to Love: fashion's favourite video for 30 years". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  5. ^ BRITs Profile: Robert Palmer Archived 23 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Brits.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2012
  6. ^ Profile: Robert Palmer. Rock on the Net. Retrieved 14 April 2012