RIP Earl Palmer (1924-2008)

By Chris Barnes
published

Rhythm is sad to announce that veteran session drummer Earl Palmer died at the age of 84 at his home in LA on Saturday, following a long illness.

Palmer, born in New Orleans in 1924, worked with a host of music legends over the course of his career, bringing his pioneering backbeats to such tracks as Little Richard's 'Tutti Frutti', The Righteous Brothers' 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', and Ike and Tina Turner's 'River Deep, Mountain High'. Over the years he also worked with the likes of Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra and Neil Young. In addition many of his beats have been sampled throughout the hip-hop world.

Inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, Palmer was referred to in Little Richard's autobiography as "probably the greatest session drummer of all time." He is survived by seven children.

Check out Rhythm soon for a full tribute to the great man.

Chris Barnes
Chris Barnes

I'm MusicRadar's eCommerce Editor. In addition to testing the latest music gear, with a particular focus on electronic drums, it's my job to manage the 300+ buyer's guides on MusicRadar and help musicians find the right gear for them at the best prices. I dabble with guitar, but my main instrument is the drums, which I have been playing for 24 years. I've been a part of the music gear industry for 20 years, including 7 years as Editor of the UK's best-selling drum magazine Rhythm, and 5 years as a freelance music writer, during which time I worked with the world's biggest instrument brands including Roland, Boss, Laney and Natal.