80's singer Robert Palmer has passed away
September 26, 2003 5:38 AM   Subscribe

80's singer Robert Palmer has passed away. CNN reports that the British rocker who is famous for his 80's hit "Addicted to Love" died of a heart attack in Paris at the age of 54.
posted by nyukid (25 comments total)
 
I always despised "Addicted to Love," but the ancient "Sneaking Sally Sally Thru the Alley" was a classic. Here's a tribute page.
posted by coelecanth at 5:55 AM on September 26, 2003


Farewell, sharp-dressed man.
posted by bwg at 5:59 AM on September 26, 2003


I guess the addiction was terminal.
posted by Space Coyote at 6:09 AM on September 26, 2003


Time to brake out my Powerstation CD.
posted by thrakintosh at 6:16 AM on September 26, 2003


[Cue to endless loop on VH1 of fashion models mock-strumming electric gee-tars]
posted by MrBaliHai at 6:18 AM on September 26, 2003


When I think of Robert Palmer, I think of this.
posted by jasonspaceman at 6:19 AM on September 26, 2003


...video killed the radio star...his video "Clues" was the first music video I saw. "On TV" would play it constantly, the closes thing they had to a commercial break at the time.
posted by thomcatspike at 6:27 AM on September 26, 2003


Sigh. I'm getting out my Addiction vol. I and Addiction vol. II albums and playing them in memorium.
posted by orange swan at 6:40 AM on September 26, 2003


Palmer would have been much better without all those outrageously ugly girls in his videos. I mean, were they really supposed to be the whole epitome of 80s glamour and beauty? I dunno, maybe I just prefer real women -- you know, like that square-faced gal from "Ed."
posted by dogmatic at 6:51 AM on September 26, 2003


While I have fond memories of Palmer's music, especially in his "Every Kind of People"/"Clues" periods before he became too popular to be really cool...

I now regret having resisted the temptation to do an obit post for Gordon Jump, of WKRP and Maytag fame, having incorrectly believed that MeFi was NOT competing with The Blog of Death.
posted by wendell at 6:57 AM on September 26, 2003


Palmer would have been much better without all those outrageously ugly girls in his videos. I mean, were they really supposed to be the whole epitome of 80s glamour and beauty? I dunno, maybe I just prefer real women -- you know, like that square-faced gal from "Ed."

Heh heh heh.
posted by Ufez Jones at 6:59 AM on September 26, 2003


damnit dogmatic.... i just knew someone would ruin the 10-post prediction.
posted by lotsofno at 7:05 AM on September 26, 2003


jasonspaceman -- thanks for a link to a Cure site I've never seen. Much appreciated.
posted by Julnyes at 7:09 AM on September 26, 2003


I feel fortunate to have seen Robert Palmer perform, circa 1980, at a small club in Huntington Beach, California, called the Golden Bear. It lives in my memory as one of the best performances I have seen (and I've seen plenty).
Rest in peace Mr. Palmer.
posted by maus501 at 7:26 AM on September 26, 2003


He did his best work covering Little Feat tunes, though not as well as Little Feat did.
posted by tommasz at 7:26 AM on September 26, 2003


I was one of those 'ugly girls', and I demand an appology.
posted by twine42 at 8:15 AM on September 26, 2003


Plant, Dylan, Redford, Deniro -- Enjoy another day. For now.
posted by dhoyt at 8:18 AM on September 26, 2003


I guess his heart was beating in double time. RIP.
posted by boneybaloney at 8:26 AM on September 26, 2003


Now playing - "Woke Up Laughing":

You meditate, you make haste, you run a risk, you come late,
You pay a bill, you lose face, you're not fully unaware.
Are you a star? Are you a fake? If you fall do you break?
You go to war, you make love, you sign out in a box.

posted by orange swan at 8:46 AM on September 26, 2003


"Johnny and Mary" is a great song. RIP Robert Palmer.
posted by SisterHavana at 9:49 AM on September 26, 2003


"i just don't know where the money went..."
posted by quonsar at 9:50 AM on September 26, 2003


That's my absolute favorite Palmer song, SisterHavana.
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:08 AM on September 26, 2003


Sad to hear about Palmer, and Gordon Jump as well. Though I will never forgive him for molesting Arnold and Dudley in that very special Diff'rent Strokes.
posted by PrinceValium at 11:19 AM on September 26, 2003


This totally creepy. I swear I had "Addicted to Love" stuck in my head for the last two days. Too creepy! Aaak!
posted by Pollomacho at 12:04 PM on September 26, 2003


I just wanted to add a poignant postscript to the news about Robert Palmer's death.

About 15 years ago, I was a waiter at a restaurant in San Francisco called the Hayes Street Grill. One of the most wonderful waitresses there was an artist named Christine Ambrose. One day in the late '80s her sister, Mary, moved out from Ohio to join Christine, their brother Billy, and their sister, who is now an SF jazz singer named Susan Getz.

All of the Ambroses -- each of whom worked at the Grill off and on -- exemplified what is great about the Midwest. They were all totally sweet, down to Earth, and very earnest. They also lucked out in the genetic lottery, because all four Ambrose kids were beyond beautiful, with glowing skin, dimples, and handsome Slavic features inherited from one side of the family. They were also very very bright, happy, quirky, friendly, artistically talented people.

The most beautiful of them all was Mary. She started working at the Grill as a busgirl when she was still 17 or so, and she was a total knockout. She looked like a much, much prettier teenage Marilyn Monroe, with full lips, rosy cheeks, and an astonishing figure. The best thing about Mary was that, if you knew her, her ravishing looks quickly became one of the more minor delights of knowing her. She worked hard at her job and laughed readily, deflating any pretentiousness around her with the force of her own authenticity and effortless charm.

One night, she went to see Robert Palmer perform in San Francisco. She loved Robert's music, and she stood right up front at the edge of the stage. Then some guy next to her started bothering Mary, and wouldn't let her enjoy the show. She was nearly in tears. Suddenly, between songs, Robert leaned over and told the guy, "Leave her alone!" It worked. And when the show ended, one of Robert's roadies came out and found Mary and invited her backstage. None of this is surprising, given Robert's obvious love for gorgeous women.

What was surprising was what happened next. Mary came into the Grill a day or two later to collect her things. She was leaving for Switzerland immediately with Robert. It seemed unbelievable, but they had, apparently, truly fallen in love. A couple of years later, Robert wrote "Simply Irresistible" for Mary, and she appeared in his videos. I heard Robert had bought her a castle in Switzerland. I always wondered how Mary felt, being a Midwest girl plucked from a life of bussing tables to become the glamorous lover, and eventually, wife, of one of the handsomest pop stars alive.

When I saw the news of Robert's death, I thought of Mary, who was mentioned only a couple of times -- once as "a gregarious American" -- in the flood of obits today. I hope she's provided for, and doing OK. Mary must be in her late 20s now. It may be hard for her to top the last ten years of her life.
posted by digaman at 3:08 PM on September 27, 2003 [1 favorite]


« Older Brucie baby   |   Say my name! Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments