Robert Palmer Biography

Quick Facts

NAME: Robert Palmer
OCCUPATION: Songwriter, Singer
BIRTH DATE: January 19, 1949
DEATH DATE: September 26, 2003
PLACE OF BIRTH: Batley, Yorkshire, England
PLACE OF DEATH: Paris, France

Best Known For

Robert Palmer is a British singer and songwriter known for his smooth, but soulful voice and gentlemanly demeanor.

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Robert Palmer

APA Style

Robert Palmer. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 08:42, May 25, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/robert-palmer-262384.

Harvard Style

Robert Palmer. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/robert-palmer-262384 [Accessed 25 May 2013].

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"Robert Palmer." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 25 2013, 08:42 http://www.biography.com/people/robert-palmer-262384.

MHRA Style

"Robert Palmer," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/robert-palmer-262384 [accessed May 25, 2013].

Chicago Style

"Robert Palmer," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/robert-palmer-262384 (accessed May 25, 2013).

CBE/CSE Style

Robert Palmer [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 25] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/robert-palmer-262384.

Bluebook Style

Robert Palmer, http://www.biography.com/people/robert-palmer-262384 (last visited May 25, 2013).

AMA Style

Robert Palmer. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/robert-palmer-262384. Accessed May 25, 2013.

While this album and his consequent recordings failed to match his earlier level of success, Palmer continued to experiment with different musical styles.

Early Death

His final album, Drive (2003), was perhaps his most bluesy recording. It featured a number of cover tunes, including “Mama Talk to Your Daughter,” “I Need Your Love So Bad,” and “Hound Dog.” He toured parts of Europe to promote the album. Taking a break, he and his longtime partner, Mary Ambrose, took a brief vacation together in Paris. On the night of September 26, after going to dinner and a movie, Palmer suffered a fatal heart attack in his room at the Warwick Hotel.

Many of his friends in rock mourned his passing. Andy Taylor from Duran Duran told the Associated Press that Palmer “was just one of the greatest British acts and a really close friend.” His body was taken to his adoptive hometown of Lugano, Switzerland, for burial. He had lived there for 16 years before his death. Palmer was survived by Ambrose, his parents, and two children from a previous marriage.