Earl Palmer
October 25, 1924 – September 19, 2008
Earl Palmer was a session drummer with a resume that reads like a who’s who of popular music. He has been called the “most recorded drummer in history.” Over a career that spanned over 50 years, Palmer played on hit recordings by the likes of Little Richard, Fats Domino, Frank Sinatra, Rick Nelson, Ray Charles, the Beach Boys, Neil Young, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, B.B. King, Randy Newman, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello and many many more. Palmer was recognized for his incomparable contribution to rock ‘n roll by being the first session musician elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Earl Palmer passed away in 2008 at the age of 83.