The artistic journey
Robert Allen Palmer was born in Batley, Yorkshire, on January 19, 1949, and grew up in Malta, where his family moved for military reasons. Returning to England at the age of nineteen, he began his musical career in the 1960s, first joining the Alan Bown Set, then the jazz-rock band Dada, which quickly transformed into the Vinegar Joe collective with Elkie Brooks. After three albums with the group, he embarked on a solo career in 1974, releasing Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley in the United States, followed by Pressure Drop the following year and Some People Can Do What They Like in 1976. During these years, Palmer moved to Nassau in the Bahamas, where the Caribbean environment deeply influenced his style, integrating reggae and calypso with Anglo-Saxon pop-rock into a refined cosmopolitan sound.
The commercial breakthrough came in 1985 when he joined Andy Taylor and John Taylor of Duran Duran in the supergroup The Power Station, along with Tony Thompson and producer Bernard Edwards of Chic: the single Some Like It Hot became a global hit and brought Palmer back to the forefront of the rock scene. The following year, with the solo album Riptide, he reached the pinnacle of his career thanks to Addicted to Love, a number one hit in the United States accompanied by one of the most iconic music videos in MTV history, directed by Terence Donovan and famous for the models in black pretending to play with impassive gazes. The music video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video in 1986, while the song earned him his first Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. The formula was successfully replicated in the videos for Simply Irresistible (1988) and I Didn't Mean to Turn You On, and Palmer won a second Grammy in 1989.
After moving to Lugano, Switzerland, in 1987, where he set up his own recording studio, Palmer recorded the albums Heavy Nova (1988), Don't Explain (1990), Ridin' High (1992), Honey (1994), and Rhythm & Blues (1999) in Milan and Peschiera Borromeo, elegantly ranging between bossa nova, art jazz, soul, blues, and American standards. It was during this period that his connection with Italy was deeply consolidated, also due to his choice to live permanently on Lake Lugano. Returning from the promotional tour for his last album Drive, he died in Paris on September 26, 2003, at the age of 54 from a heart attack, and is buried in Lugano where he had lived the last fifteen years of his life.
Why collect a Robert Palmer autograph
Robert Palmer is one of the most iconic and refined figures in international pop-rock of the 80s, three times nominated for BRIT Awards as Best British Male and celebrated by Rolling Stone magazine as the Best Dressed Rock Star of 1990 for his unmistakable sartorial style of understated Italian suits worn even on stage. His signature represents a piece of the golden age of global pop music and the MTV era, collected by 80s music collectors and fans of the crossover style that defined an entire era.
For the Italian public, Robert Palmer has a special added value: his very close connection with our country, where he lived and recorded most of his mature discography, makes him a familiar and affectionately celebrated figure. Autographed concert photos, signed copies of historical albums, and dedicated tickets from Italian tours are rare and valuable pieces that are constantly appreciating, especially after the artist's passing in 2003.
Original Robert Palmer autographs on MTM Memorabilia
MTM Memorabilia is the benchmark in Italy for high-level collecting. Every original Robert Palmer autograph available on MTM is selected with rigorous criteria of provenance and authenticity by our experts. Every autographed piece is always accompanied free of charge by the MTM Letter of Authenticity (LOA), a document issued by our experts that declares the provenance and veracity of the autograph according to our direct knowledge. Depending on the type and value of the piece, MTM autographs may be accompanied by additional internationally recognized third-party certifications — including COAs issued by entities such as PSA, JSA, Beckett, Epperson, Autograph COA, or Associazione Autografia — included in the price or purchasable separately. Each product sheet precisely indicates the certification available for that specific piece.