British rock singer Robert Palmer, died in Paris of a heart attack early Friday, his record company said. He was 54.
Here’s the Yahoo story:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030926/ts_nm/people_palmer_dc
George Plimpton died, too. Why are all these famous people dying all of a sudden? It’s freaking me out.
Some of them are up in years, but Robert Palmer and John Ritter were only in their 50s. It is weird.
Speaking of John Ritter. I absolutely despised that Three’s Company show, and so it was hard to get into John Ritter. Then I saw him in Slingblade and I thought that was a gorgeous performance. I wish there had been more spotlighting of that performance in the tributes after his death.
Plenty of non-famous people are dying too; the Media just doesn’t care about them.
I used to know a guy (a pianist) who would say, “Never say anything negative about a deceased person.” and he was quite serious about it. Maybe he was afraid the soul of the deceased would be offended and would want to exact some sort of revenge. Anyway, you are probably safe Dale, since you balanced out your dispiccable feeling sabout “Three’s Co.” with a positive review of Ritter in “Slingblade”.
I am absolutely crushed by this. That guy was the best white soul singer alive for many years. It was probably 1980 or 85 before I found out he was English – in spirit he was New Orleans through and through.
Quote @ chas
I am absolutely crushed by this. That guy was the best white soul singer alive for many years.
Annie Lennox is the best white soul singer, IMHO. If she died I would probably have mental problems.
…and she’s English!
Wasn’t the title of best white soul singer given to Daryl Hall of the duo Hall and Oates??
No, it was the Righteous Bros, who inspired the term “Blue eyed soul.” IMHO, of course.
Can you imagine the music ringing in heaven, with Johnny Cash, Warren Zevon and now Mr. Robert all playing together?
Indeed!..
Inspired yes… The phrase ‘Blue Eyed Soul’ came some 10 years before Daryl’s career took off.
Quote @ BrassBlower
…and she’s English!
Annie Lennox is from Scotland. At least, she was the last time I checked.
A few more words on Robert. He had a flageolet player on at least one album, so he’s actually on-topic. Little Feat were his backup band for a few years.
Darryl Hall? I love the guy, and he’s a great singer, but Palmer had more soul in his little finger. 
He could to a OW! that sounded just like James Brown. I had black friends that thought his skin must’ve been bleached. Actually, I think the term best white soul singer could be applied to tons of people, from Eric Clapton to Janis Joplin. It’s all subjective.
Yeah,
Janis wins that one. None better than her version of “Summertime” and “Ball and Chain”.
During the 80’s, I thought it was funny that my dad’s name was Robert Palmer.
He and his three brothers could harmonize Barbershop quartets beautifully, together. Now they are all gone. 
It’s enough to make one cry - especially with Thanksgiving coming up.
JP
Sad to hear of Robert Palmer’s death.
As a collector of vintage soul records, I must say I’m amused by the choices above of best white soul singer. I have quite a bit of affection for almost all of the people mentioned but can’t really take them seriously for that award. I’m not sure there’s ever been a consistently great white soul singer, although there are a few great white soul records. The main problem was and remains a persistent misunderstanding, by white listeners and artists, of what makes great soul work. There is a tendency to think of it as wild, frenetic, out of control. Great soul is never any of those things.
Soul is really gospel gone secular. There are, broadly speaking, two kinds of great singer in soul and gospel. On the one hand there are the enormously subtle, gently soulful singers like Solomon Burke, Sam Cooke and Garnett Mimms. Has there ever been a white singer who’s truly mastered this style? A few tracks by Dusty Springfield and the very young Stevie Winwood (Spencer Davis Group) come close but both were probably more convincing as belters.
Then there’s the second group. Few thrills in life can be greater than hearing, for the first time, a great gospel or soul belter going full throttle. Wilson Pickett’s first album was the first I heard and I just had no idea music like that existed. Nothing prepared me for it. Aretha Franklin and (early) James Brown fall into this group. To be a great singer of this kind it’s not enough to be able to scream on cue and be generally overwrought—sorry Janis—you have to have a great voice and an ability to take the excitement level up and down in a thoroughly controlled way, building and releasing tension repeatedly.
Some really good white soul tracks IMO: ‘Why’ Lonnie Mack, ‘Nikki Hokey’ P.J. Proby, ‘Groovin’ and ‘Good Lovin’ Rascals, ‘Small Town Talk’ Bobby Charles, ‘Before I Grow Too Old’ Tommy McClain, ‘The Letter’ Box Tops, ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ and ‘Little by Little’ Dusty Springfield, ‘Every Little Bit Hurts’ Spencer Davis Group, ‘Lodi’ Credance Clearwater Revival. I’ve left out a lot of good ones but these tracks certainly have what it takes.
If we believe insider rumours, the best white soul singer of all might have been Dan Penn who co-wrote a great many of the great black soul classics (eg, ‘Dark End of the Street’). The evidence is buried in demos which most of us will never hear. A couple of albums have been released recently and, although very good, it’s hard to assess a singer perhaps 35 years past his prime.
Wombat! You hit the nail on the head with Dan Penn. I love that guy. I think the cd Do Right Man is pure genius. For those of you gentlemen still courtin’ the ladies, this is a very good choice for, uh, the courtin’ soundtrack mix.
Now you’ll probably blast me for this, Wombat, but I also have a soft spot for Joe Cocker.
edited to add this: I also love Sam Cooke, Solomon Burke and Wilson Pickett. In fact, when I used to sing with a cover band, I did a Wilson Pickett tribute that was quite well regarded.
To be truthful, the only people mentioned here that I’ve listed to are Robert Palmer and Annie Lennox.