Earl Cyril Palmer (October 25, 1924 – September 19, 2008) was an American drummer. Considered one of the inventors of

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

, he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Palmer was one of the most prolific studio musicians of all time and played on thousands of recordings, including nearly all of Little Richard's hits, all of

Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...

's hits, "

You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin is a song by Phil Spector, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, first recorded in 1964 by the American vocal duo the Righteous Brothers, whose version was also produced by Spector and is cited by some music critics as ...

" by

the Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Lo ...

, and a long list of classic TV and film soundtracks. According to one obituary, "his list of credits read like a Who's Who of American popular music of the last 60 years".

Biography

Born into a show-business family in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

and raised in the

Tremé Tremé ( ) is a neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana. "Tremé" is often rendered as Treme, and the neighborhood is sometimes called by its more formal French name, Faubourg Tremé; it is listed in the New Orleans City Planning Districts as Trem ...

district, Palmer started his career at five as a

tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perf ...

r, joining his mother and aunt on the black

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

circuit in its twilight and touring the

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

extensively with

Ida Cox Ida Cox (born Ida M. Prather, February 26, 1888 or 1896 – November 10, 1967) was an American singer and vaudeville performer, best known for her blues performances and recordings. She was billed as "The Uncrowned Queen of the Blues".Harriso ...

's Darktown Scandals Review. His father is thought to have been the local pianist and bandleader Walter "Fats" Pichon. Palmer was 12 when he headlined a floor show at the Rhythm Club in New Orleans, "a very beautiful spot where one can enjoy a floor show, headed by Alvin Howey and Little Earl Palmer". Palmer served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and was posted in the

European theatre The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II. It saw heavy fighting across Europe for almost six years, starting with Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 and ending with the ...

. His biographer wrote, After the war ended Palmer studied piano and percussion at the Gruenwald School of Music in New Orleans, where he also learned to read music. He started drumming with the

Dave Bartholomew David Louis Bartholomew (December 24, 1918 – June 23, 2019) was an American musician, bandleader, composer, arranger, and record producer. He was prominent in the music of New Orleans throughout the second half of the 20th century. Originally ...

Band in the late 1940s. Palmer was known for playing on New Orleans recording sessions, including

's " The Fat Man" and "I'm Walkin" (and several more of Domino's hits), "

Tipitina "Tipitina" is a song written and made famous by Professor Longhair. The song has been widely covered, and the Professor Longhair version was recorded in 1953 for Atlantic Records. "Tipitina" was first released in 1953. A previously unreleased ...

" by Professor Longhair, "

Tutti Frutti Tutti frutti (from Italian ''tutti i frutti'', "all fruits"; also hyphenated tutti-frutti) is a colorful confectionery containing various chopped and usually candied fruits, or an artificial or natural flavouring simulating the combined flavou ...

" by Little Richard (and most of Richard's hits), "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" by

Lloyd Price Lloyd Price (March 9, 1933May 3, 2021) was an American singer-songwriter, record executive and bandleader, known as "Mr. Personality", after his 1959 million-selling hit, "Personality". His first recording, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", was a hit for S ...

, and "I Hear You Knockin'" by

Smiley Lewis A smiley, sometimes referred to as a smiley face, is a basic ideogram that represents a smiling face. Since the 1950s it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram, or as a form of communication, such a ...

. His playing on "The Fat Man" featured the

backbeat In music and music theory, the beat is the basic unit of time, the pulse (regularly repeating event), of the ''mensural level'' (or ''beat level''). The beat is often defined as the rhythm listeners would tap their toes to when listening to a p ...

that has come to be the most important element in

. Palmer said, "That song required a strong afterbeat throughout the whole piece. With

Dixieland Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ...

you had a strong afterbeat only after you got to the shout last chorus…It was sort of a new approach to rhythm music." Reportedly, he was the first to use the word ''

funky Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mid ...

'', to explain to other musicians that their music should be made more syncopated and danceable. Palmer left New Orleans for Hollywood in 1957, initially working for Aladdin Records. He soon started working with the Wrecking Crew, a loose-knit group of session musicians who recorded nonstop during their heyday from 1962 to 1968. The musicians union tracked Palmer playing on 450 dates in 1967 alone. For more than 30 years he played drums on the soundtracks of many movies and television shows. Amongst the many artists he worked with were

Glenn Yarbrough Glenn Robertson Yarbrough (January 12, 1930 – August 11, 2016) was an American folk singer and guitarist. He was the lead singer (tenor) with the Limeliters from 1959 to 1963 and also had a prolific solo career. Yarbrough had a restless ...

, Frank Sinatra,

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...

Ricky Nelson Eric Hilliard Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter and actor. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he bega ...

Bobby Vee Robert Thomas Velline (April 30, 1943 – October 24, 2016), known professionally as Bobby Vee, was an American singer who was a teen idol in the early 1960s and also appeared in films. According to ''Billboard'' magazine, he had thirty-ei ...

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

, Sam Cooke,

Eddie Cochran Ray Edward Cochran (; October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American rock and roll musician. Cochran's songs, such as " Twenty Flight Rock", "Summertime Blues", " C'mon Everybody" and " Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desir ...

Ritchie Valens Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), known professionally as Ritchie Valens, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens was killed ...

Bobby Day Robert James Byrd (July 1, 1930 – July 27, 1990), known by the stage name Bobby Day, was an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, and songwriter. He is best known for his hit record " Rockin' Robin", written by Leon René und ...

Don and Dewey Don and Dewey were an American rock, blues and R&B duo, comprising Don "Sugarcane" Harris (Don Francis Bowman Harris; June 18, 1938 – December 1, 1999) and Dewey Terry (Dewey Steven Terry; July 17, 1937 – May 11, 2003). History Both Harr ...

Jan and Dean Jan and Dean was an American rock duo consisting of William Jan Berry (April 3, 1941 – March 26, 2004) and Dean Ormsby Torrence (born March 10, 1940). In the early 1960s, they were pioneers of the California Sound and vocal surf music style ...

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

Larry Williams Larry Williams (born Lawrence Eugene Williams, a.k.a. Lawrence Edward Williams; May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, producer, and pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Williams ...

Gene McDaniels Eugene Booker McDaniels (February 12, 1935 – July 29, 2011) was an American singer and songwriter. He had his greatest recording success in the early 1960s, reaching number three on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart with "A Hund ...

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American musician and actor. He performed jazz, pop, rock and roll, folk, swing, and country music. He started his career as a songwriter for Connie ...

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fur ...

, The Pets,

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...

when they were still known as The Beefeaters, and

B. Bumble and the Stingers B. Bumble and the Stingers was an American instrumental ensemble in the early 1960s, specializing in rock and roll arrangements of classical melodies. The band's biggest hits were "Bumble Boogie", which reached number 21 in the US, and " Nut Roc ...

. He also played in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

sessions with David Axelrod, Dizzy Gillespie,

Earl Bostic Eugene Earl Bostic (April 25, 1913 – October 28, 1965) was an American alto saxophonist. Bostic's recording career was diverse, his musical output encompassing jazz, swing, jump blues and the post-war American rhythm and blues style, which he ...

Onzy Matthews Onzy Durrett Matthews, Jr. (January 15, 1930 – November 13, 1997) was an American jazz pianist, singer, arranger and composer as well as a television and movie actor. He is best known for the big band arrangements done for the Lou Rawls albums ' ...

, and

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

, and he contributed to blues recordings by

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

. He remained in demand as a drummer throughout the 1970s and 1980s, playing on recordings for albums by Randy Newman,

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...

, Bonnie Raitt,

Tim Buckley Timothy Charles Buckley III (February 14, 1947 – June 29, 1975) was an American musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years. Buckley began his career based in folk music, but his subsequent albums experimented with ...

, Little Feat and Elvis Costello. In 1982, Palmer was elected treasurer of the Local 47 of the American Federation of Musicians. He served until he was defeated in 1984. He was re-elected in 1990. A biography, ''Backbeat: Earl Palmer's Story'', by Tony Scherman, was published in 1999. In later years, Palmer played with a jazz trio in Los Angeles. Palmer is interviewed on screen and appears in performance footage in the 2005 documentary film '' Make It Funky!'', which presents a history of New Orleans music and its influence on

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

, funk and

. In the film, he performs " Rip It Up" with guest vocalist Ivan Neville and house band. Palmer died in September 2008, in Banning, California, after a long illness. He is buried at

Riverside National Cemetery Riverside National Cemetery (RNC) is a cemetery located in Riverside, California, dedicated to the interment of United States military personnel. The cemetery covers , making it the largest cemetery managed by the National Cemetery Administratio ...

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...

Personal life

Palmer married four times and had seven children. He is survived by Earl Cyril Palmer Jr., Donald Alfred Palmer, Ronald Raymond Palmer and Patricia Ann Palmer from his marriage to Catherine Palmer; Shelly Margaret Palmer and Pamela Teresa Palmer from his marriage to Susan Joy Weidenpesch; and Penny Yasuko Palmer from his marriage to Yumiko Makino. He married his fourth wife, Jeline, in 2004.

Quotations

* "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." * Late in his career, Palmer appeared in a

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

with the band Cracker on the song "I Hate My Generation". As ''

Addicted to Noise ''Addicted to Noise'' (ATN) was an online music magazine in the early days of the World Wide Web. Founded in 1994 by ex-''Rolling Stone'' associate editor and senior writer Michael Goldberg and online music pioneer Jon Luini, it published its fir ...

'' tells the story, "According to Cracker leader David Lowery, when Palmer was asked if he would be able to play along with the songs, he gave Lowery a look and said, 'I invented this shit.'" * "I've been asked if people could borrow my drums because they like their sound. What the hell, they think the drums play themselves? I said, 'You really want 'em? Really? Okay. Cost you triple scale and cartage.'" * When asked by Max Weinberg what more of the recording sessions he'd played on Palmer replied, "Don't ask me which ones I played on. I should have done like Hal laine Hal used to get gold records for all the things he played on. I never did that, you know. I would like to have a room with all those things in them. It would have been nice—show my grandchildren when they grow up so they don't say, 'Oh shut up old man and sit down.' I could just say, 'Look. I don't have to tell you nothing. There it is.'"

Awards

In 2000, Palmer became one of the first session musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Discography

As leader

* ''Drumsville'' ( Liberty Records, 1961) * ''Percolator Twist'' (Liberty Records, 1962)

As sideman

Albums * ''

Here's Little Richard ''Here's Little Richard'' is the debut album by American musician Little Richard, released on March 4, 1957. Promoted as "six of Little Richard's hits and six brand new songs of hit calibre", the album compiles many of the A-sides and B-sides fro ...

'' – Little Richard (1957) * ''Swinging Flute in Hi-Fi'' – The Strollers (1958) * ''

The Fabulous Little Richard ''The Fabulous Little Richard'' was the third album from Little Richard, and the end of his rock and roll period. Released seventeen months after he had left the Specialty Records label, Richard had returned to religion and turned his back on the ...

'' – Little Richard (1959) * '' At the Cinema!'' –

Buddy Collette William Marcel "Buddy" Collette (August 6, 1921 – September 19, 2010) was an American jazz flutist, saxophonist, and clarinetist. He was a founding member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet. Early life William Marcel Collette was born in L ...

's Swinging Shepherds (Mercury, 1959) * '' This Must Be the Plas'' –

Plas Johnson Plas John Johnson Jr. (born July 21, 1931) is an American soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, probably most widely known as the tenor saxophone soloist on Henry Mancini’s "The Pink Panther Theme". He also performs on alto and baritone sa ...

(Capitol, 1959) * '' Julie...At Home'' – Julie London (1960) * ''

Sinatra and Swingin' Brass ''Sinatra And Swingin' Brass'' is a 1962 studio album by Frank Sinatra. This is the first time Sinatra worked with arranger/composer Neal Hefti on an album project, following a single-only session that took place in April 1962. For ''Sinatra a ...

'' – Frank Sinatra (1962) * ''

Twistin' the Night Away "Twistin' the Night Away" is a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke. It was recorded on 18 December 1961 and released as a single in 1962. It became very popular, charting in the top ten of both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 (#9) and Billboard's R ...

'' – Sam Cooke (1962) * ''Twistin' And Twangin –

Duane Eddy Duane Eddy (born April 26, 1938) is an American rock and roll guitarist. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he had a string of hit records produced by Lee Hazlewood, which were noted for their characteristically "twangy" sound, including " Rebel ...

(1962) * ''Blues in My Heart'' –

(1962) * ''

Blues Cross Country ''Blues Cross Country'' is a 1962 studio album by Peggy Lee, principally arranged by Quincy Jones, with some arrangements by Benny Carter. The album can be described as a concept album, consisting of a musical journey across the United States t ...

'' – Peggy Lee (1962) * ''Color Him Funky'' –

Howard Roberts Howard Mancel Roberts (October 2, 1929 – June 28, 1992) was an American jazz guitarist, educator, and session musician. Early years Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona to Damon and Vesta Roberts, and began playing guitar at the age of 8 - a ...

(1963) * '' Mr. Soul'' – Sam Cooke (1963) * '' Greazee Soul'' – Billy Preston (1963) * ''H.R. is a Dirty Guitar Player'' –

(1963) * '' Ain't That Good News'' – Sam Cooke (1964) * '' Sweets for the Sweet Taste of Love'' –

Harry Edison Harry "Sweets" Edison (October 10, 1915 – July 27, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. His most important contribution was as a Hollywood studio musician, whose muted trumpet can be heard backi ...

(Vee-Jay, 1964) * ''

The Astounding 12-String Guitar of Glen Campbell ''The Astounding 12-String Guitar of Glen Campbell'' is the third album by American singer-guitarist Glen Campbell, recorded in stereo and released in 1964 by Capitol Records. The album is entirely instrumental, with the exception of one cut: "W ...

'' –

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting '' The Glen Campbell Good ...

(1964) * ''Mr. Eliminator'' – Dick Dale (1964) * ''The Beach Boys Today!'' –

(1965) * ''Gil Fuller & the Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra featuring Dizzy Gillespie'' – Gil Fuller (Pacific Jazz, 1965) * ''Look at Us'' – Sonny & Cher (1965) * ''Venice Blue'' –

(1965) * ''Lightnin' Strikes (Verve Folkways album), Lightnin' Strikes'' – Lightnin' Hopkins (Verve Folkways, 1966) * ''Latin in the Horn'' – Al Hirt & Lalo Schifrin (1966) * ''Tim Hardin 1'' – Tim Hardin (1966) * ''River Deep – Mountain High (album), River Deep – Mountain High'' – Ike & Tina Turner (1966) * ''Music from Mission: Impossible'' – Lalo Schifrin (Dot, 1967) * ''Song Cycle (album), Song Cycle'' – Van Dyke Parks (1967) *''Something Blue (Lightnin' Hopkins album), Something Blue'' – Lightnin' Hopkins (Verve Forecast, 1967) * ''There's a Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin' On'' – Lalo Schifrin (Dot, 1968) * ''Accent on Africa'' – Cannonball Adderley (1968) * ''The Wichita Train Whistle Sings'' – Michael Nesmith (1968) * ''Hey Little One'' –

(1968) * ''The Natch'l Blues'' – Taj Mahal (musician), Taj Mahal (1968) * ''The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees'' – The Monkees (1968) * ''Head (The Monkees album), Head'' – The Monkees (1968) * ''Song of Innocence'' – David Axelrod (1968) * ''Songs of Experience'' – David Axelrod (1969) * ''10 to 23'' – José Feliciano (1969) * ''Neil Young (album), Neil Young'' –

(1969) * ''U.F.O.'' – Jim Sullivan (singer-songwriter), Jim Sullivan (1969) * ''Memphis Jackson'' – Milt Jackson (Impulse!, 1969) * ''The Original Cleanhead'' – Eddie Vinson, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (1970) * ''Tap Root Manuscript'' – Neil Diamond (1970) * ''The Glen Campbell Goodtime Album'' –

(1970) * ''Easy Does It (Al Kooper album), Easy Does It'' – Al Kooper (1970) * ''The Point'' – Harry Nilsson (1971) * ''Stoney End (Barbra Streisand album), Stoney End'' – Barbra Streisand (1971) * ''That The Spirit Needs (Of Muse And Man)'' – José Feliciano (1971) * ''People Like Us (The Mamas and the Papas album), People Like Us'' – The Mamas & the Papas (1971) * ''A Time in My Life'' – Sarah Vaughan (1971) * ''L.A. Midnight'' –

(1972) * ''Norma Deloris Egstrom from Jamestown, North Dakota'' – Peggy Lee (1972) * ''David Clayton-Thomas'' – David Clayton-Thomas (1972) * ''With Love'' – Joe Williams (jazz singer), Joe Williams (1972) * ''Sail Away (Randy Newman album), Sail Away'' – Randy Newman (1972) * ''The Second Coming (Little Richard album), The Second Coming'' – Little Richard (1972) * ''Share My Love (album), Share My Love'' – Gloria Jones (1973) * ''Takin' My Time'' – Bonnie Raitt (1973) * ''Looking Back (Leon Russell album), Looking Back'' – Leon Russell (1973) * ''Look at the Fool'' –

(1974) * ''Waitress in a Donut Shop'' – Maria Muldaur (1974) * ''7-Tease'' – Donovan (1974) * ''Beat Around the Bush'' – Sarah Kernochan (1974) * ''Survivor'' – Barry Mann (1975) * ''Home Brew'' – Arthur Adams (singer), Arthur Adams (1975) * ''Swans Against the Sun'' – Michael Martin Murphey (1975) * ''The Hit Man (Eddie Kendricks album), The Hit Man'' – Eddie Kendricks (1975) * ''I'm Easy (album), I'm Easy'' – Keith Carradine (1976) * ''Lisa Hartman'' – Lisa Hartman Black (1976) * ''Sweet Harmony (album), Sweet Harmony'' – Maria Muldaur (1976) * ''Strange Ladies'' – David Axelrod (1977) * ''Blue Valentine (album), Blue Valentine'' –

(1978) * ''Wild and Peaceful (Teena Marie album), Wild and Peaceful'' – Teena Marie (1979) * ''Down on the Farm (album), Down on the Farm'' – Little Feat (1979) * ''Irons in the Fire (album), Irons in the Fire'' – Teena Marie (1980) * ''Ins and Outs'' – Lalo Schifrin (Palo Alto, 1982) * ''King of America'' – Elvis Costello (1986) * ''The Ultimate School of Rock & Roll'' – Gene Summers (1997) * ''Let the Good Times Roll (album), Let the Good Times Roll'' –

(1999) * ''In 3-Dimensions'' – Deke Dickerson (2003) Singles * " The Fat Man" –

(1949) * "Messy Bessy" –

(1949) * "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" –

(1952) * "I'm Gone" – Shirley and Lee (1952) * "Doin' the Hambone" b/w "Thinkin' 'Bout My Baby" – James Booker (1954) * "In the Night" – Professor Longhair (1954) * "I Hear You Knockin" –

(1955) * "Blue Monday (Fats Domino song), Blue Monday" –

(1955) * "The Girl Can't Help It", " Rip It Up", "Long Tall Sally", "Slippin' and Slidin'", "Ready Teddy" – Little Richard (1956) * "Chicken Shack Boogie" – Amos Milburn (1956) * "Ooh-Wee-Baby" – Art Neville (1956) * "Let the Good Times Roll (Shirley and Lee song), Let the Good Times Roll" – Shirley and Lee (1956) * "Red Hot" – Bob Luman (1957) * "You Send Me" – Sam Cooke (1957) * "I'm Walkin'" – Fats Domino (1957) * "I'm Leaving It Up to You" –

(1957) * "Little Bitty Pretty One" –

and Thurston Harris (1957) * "Busy, Busy", "My Heaven" – Dan Bowden (1958) * "Donna (Ritchie Valens song), Donna" –

(1958) * "Summertime Blues" –

(1958) * "Slow Down (Larry Williams song), Slow Down", "Dizzy Miss Lizzy", "Bony Moronie" –

(1958) * "Polly Molly", "Forever and a Day" – 5 Masks (1958) * "Patricia Darling", "Whatta You Do" – Ray Willis (1958) * "Nervous (Gene Summers song), Nervous", "Gotta Lotta That", "Twixteen", "Crazy Cat Corner" – Gene Summers (1958) * "Rockin' Robin (song), Rockin' Robin" –

(1958) * "Willie and the Hand Jive" – Johnny Otis (1958) * "La Bamba (song), La Bamba" –

(1959) * "Hippy Hippy Shake" – Chan Romero (1959) * "Made In The Shade" – Jimmy & Alton (1959) * "Walking to New Orleans" –

(1960) * "Percolator Twist" – Billy Joe And The Checkmates (1961) * "The Lonely Bull" – Herb Alpert (1962) * "High Flyin' Bird" – Judy Henske (1963) * "Please Let Me Love You" – The Beefeaters (who later became the Byrds) (1964) * "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena", "Dead Man's Curve (song), Dead Man's Curve" –

(1964) * "

" – The Righteous Brothers (1964) * "Please Let Me Wonder" –

(1965) * "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" – Mel Carter (1965) * "River Deep - Mountain High" – Ike & Tina Turner (1966) * "I'll Be Back Up On My Feet", "We Were Made for Each Other", "Magnolia Simms" – The Monkees (1968) * "The Old Laughing Lady", "I've Loved Her So Long" –

(1969) * "She Gets Me Where I Live", "God Sheds His Grace on Thee" – Al Kooper (1970) * "It's About Time (Beach Boys song), It's About Time" - The Beach Boys (1970) * "Whistlin' Past the Graveyard", "Sweet Little Bullet From a Pretty Blue Gun" –

(1978)

Film scores

Palmer was the session drummer for a number of film scores, including: 1961 :''Judgment at Nuremberg'', score by Ernest Gold (composer), Ernest Gold 1963 :''Hud (1963 film), Hud'', score by Elmer Bernstein :''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'', score by Ernest Gold (composer), Ernest Gold 1964 :''Baby the Rain Must Fall'', score by Elmer Bernstein :''Ride the Wild Surf'', score by Stu Phillips (composer), Stu Phillips :''Robin and the Seven Hoods'', score by Nelson Riddle 1965 :''Boeing Boeing (1965 film), Boeing Boeing'', score by Neal Hefti :''Harlow (Paramount film), Harlow'', score by Neal Hefti :''How to Stuff a Wild Bikini'', score by Les Baxter :''A Patch of Blue'', score by Jerry Goldsmith 1967 :''Pretty Polly (film), Pretty Polly'', score by Michel Legrand :''Cool Hand Luke'', score by Lalo Schifrin :''In the Heat of the Night (film), In the Heat of the Night'', score by Quincy Jones 1968 :''A Dandy in Aspic'', score by Quincy Jones

Television scores

Palmer was also the session drummer for a number of television show themes and soundtracks, including: * ''The Flintstones'' * ''M Squad'' * ''77 Sunset Strip'' * ''Bourbon Street Beat'' * ''Hawaiian Eye'' * ''Peyton Place (TV series), Peyton Place'' * ''I Dream of Jeannie'' * ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' * ''Green Acres'' * ''Ironside (1967 TV series), Ironside'' * ''The Outsider (1968 TV series), The Outsider'' * ''It Takes a Thief (1968 TV series), It Takes a Thief'' * ''The Leslie Uggams Show'' * ''The Brady Bunch'' * ''Delta (American TV series), Delta'' * ''The Partridge Family'' * ''The Odd Couple (1970 TV series), The Odd Couple'' * ''The Pearl Bailey Show'' * ''M*A*S*H (TV series), M*A*S*H'' * ''The Midnight Special (TV series), The Midnight Special'' * ''Mannix'' * ''Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series), Mission: Impossible''

1952

1955

1956

1957

1958

1959

1960

1961

1962

1963

References

External links

* *
Earl Palmer
NAMM Oral History Program Interview (2002) {{DEFAULTSORT:Palmer, Earl 1924 births 2008 deaths American jazz drummers American rock drummers American session musicians Rhythm and blues musicians from New Orleans Jazz musicians from New Orleans Vaudeville performers Liberty Records artists The Wrecking Crew (music) members Rhythm and blues drummers Burials at Riverside National Cemetery 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians United States Army personnel of World War II