Earl Palmer
Earl Palmer (
October 25,
1924) is a legendary
drummer and member of the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He started his career as a
tap dancer in
vaudeville.
Palmer is best known for playing on many legendary
New Orleans recording sessions, including
Fats Domino's "The Fat Man" (and all the rest of Fats' hits), "Tutti Frutti" by
Little Richard (and most of his Richard's hits), "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" by
Lloyd Price, and "I Hear You Knockin'" by
Smiley Lewis.
His playing on "The Fat Man" featured one of the first instances of the
back beat that has come to be the most important element in
rock and roll. Palmer said, "That song required a strong afterbeat throughout the whole piece. With
Dixieland you had a strong afterbeat only after you got to the shout
last chorus . . . It was sort of a new approach to rhythm music."
He left New Orleans for
Hollywood in 1957. His career as a session drummer included work with
Frank Sinatra,
Phil Spector,
Rick Nelson,
Ray Charles,
Eddie Cochran,
Ritchie Valens, as well as
jazz sessions with
Dizzy Gillespie and
Count Basie.
Palmer married four times, producing seven children, Earl Cyril Palmer, Jr., Donald Alfred Palmer, Ronald Raymond Palmer and Patricia Ann Palmer from his first marriage to Catherine Palmer, Shelly Margaret Palmer and Pamela Teresa Palmer from his second marriage to Susan Joy Weidenpesch, and Penny Yasuko Palmer from his third marriage to Yumiko Makino. Palmer celebrated his 80th birthday last October 25, 2004, married his fourth wife Jeline Palmer in December 2004, and currently resides in California.
*"You could always tell a New Orleans drummer the minute you heard him play his bass drum because he'd have that parade beat connotation." -Earl Palmer.
Backbeat: The Earl Palmer Story by Tony Scherman and
Wynton Marsalis. ISBN 1560988444
