大象传媒

It was a proud boast for many people in Scarborough that Robert Allen Palmer, the pop music icon, was raised and schooled there. Robert went to Scarborough Boys' High School and studied art at Scarborough Technical College.

Most people in the town called him Allen. His mum, Anne, says, "He only became known as Robert when he joined his first professional band, the Alan Bown Set, he was told there couldn't be two Alans in the same band."

Scarborough Technical College

Robert Palmer's first ever band, which he joined at the age of 15 whilst at Scarborough High School, was the Mandrakes.

They formed in 1965 and started out playing local youth clubs. Their audiences grew quickly and they soon found themselves supporting many renowned acts in and around Scarborough during this period, including legends such as Jimmy Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac and The Who.

Robert's mum, Anne, says his love of music was probably formed at an early age listening to the American Forces Network in Malta where his father was stationed, and to the music being played in the house: "We played a lot of Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and George Shearing - we always had that sort of thing going."

Anne also credits Robert's fastidious dress sense and love of immaculate Italian suits to his father too. "My husband was Frank Sinatra's number one fan and was always very well dressed. This must have rubbed off on Robert, but not until he was older. When he was young once I remember he wanted some riding boots, but until he got into his teens he wasn't that bothered and then when he started with the band he wore long over-coats. "

After gigging around Scarborough with the Mandrakes, Robert joined the 12-piece jazz-rock fusion band Dada, which featured singer Elkie Brooks. The band lasted a year, after which Brooks and Palmer formed the rhythm and blues group, Vinegar Joe.

Soon after, because of his soulful voice and good looks, Island Records signed him to a solo deal and Robert became a worldwide star.

Robert's Mum says fame never changed him, "He never seemed any different, he took us on Concorde two or three times and the Orient Express and we always celebrated birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas, everything, together."

大象传媒 Radio York's Dr Rock

Palmer recorded the album Riptide in 1985, which featured his most famous song and number 1 single "Addicted to Love." Two years later the song won him the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.

大象传媒 Radio York鈥檚 Dr Rock says, 鈥淗e deserved the acclaim, he was a grafter, a real toiler, one thing he attributed to being born and raised in Yorkshire was the work ethic.鈥�

If you click the link above you can hear an excerpt from a tribute Dr Rock paid to Robert Palmer in 2003, including his meeting with the star and an explanation as to where the idea for the song Addicted to Love came from.

In 1987 Robert moved to Lugano, Switzerland. In September 2003, aged 54, he was on his way back to Lugano, after recording for television at Ronnie Scott's听jazz club in London and stopped off in Paris to see some films and have a couple of days there.

His mum says, "They went out and had a meal, saw a film, then went to the hotel and then to bed and he must have woken up in the middle of the night - I don't know if he felt ill or what - and he just died. It was absolutely a shock. We were devastated."

Robert's mum, Anne, still lives in Scarborough.