Remembering Robert Palmer
The “Addicted to Love” singer died on this day in 2003
Remembering Robert Palmer
Robert Palmer was born Robert Allen Palmer on January 19th, 1949, in Batley, England. Palmer started his musical career in the 1960’s, however, although he already had charted during the 1970’s, it wasn’t until the 1980’s that he became a famous name. Palmer’s musical style was a blend that consisted in Pop, Rock, Blues, Soul and Reggae among other genres, and he constantly switched musical styles, in 1979 Palmer released one of his signature songs “Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)” that would become a worldwide hit during the 1980’s and it’s often more associated with that decade rather than the 1970’s. In 1980 he has his first big hit, “Johnny and Mary,” a new wave song with a catchy melody and while MTV was growing as a promoter of record sales through music videos, Palmer embraced the new trend and went on to make some of the 1980’s most iconic music videos which earned him a new exposure to a younger audience. In 1985 he formed the supergroup Power Station together with Duran Duran members John Taylor and Andy Taylor, and with Tony Thompson from Chic on drums. Their eponymous album spawned two hit singles with “Some Like It Hot” (US #6) and a cover of the T. Rex song “Get It On (Bang a Gong).” Palmer’s signature song “Addicted to Love” was released in 1986, it went No.1 on Hot 100 and was a phenomenal hit around the world, partially due to the iconic video in which Palmer is surrounded by a bevy of near-identically clad, heavily made-up female “musicians,” either mimicking or mocking the painting style of Patrick Nagel. In 1987, he won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for “Addicted to Love.” At the 1987 Brit Awards, Palmer received his first nomination for Best British Male. Though he remained an active recording artist during the 90’s, Palmer never was able to replicate the same wave of success he had in the 1980’s. He died in Paris on September 26th, 2003, at age 54 from a heart attack.
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