Believe it or not, Hal Blaine was not the only session drummer back in the 1950s and 60s. There were several other prominent names from the era and today, let’s turn our attention to another one.

Back in the 1950s, you went to New Orleans if you wanted to hear hot drumming. Like the gunslingers of the Old West, the Gulfport drummers were legendary. And one of the best was Earl Palmer. For his drumming on such classic hits as Fats Domino’s My Blue Heaven, Lloyd Price’s Lawdy Miss Clawdy, and Little Richard’s Long Tall Sally, Earl Palmer is renowned in the history of New Orleans rock & roll.

As Hal Blaine related to the 1960s West Coast style, so Earl Palmer did to the development and success of the 1950s New Orleans sound. The musicians on these New Orleans classics – Earl, Salvador Doucette on piano, Lee Allen and “Red” Tyler on saxes, Frank Fields on bass, Ernest McLean and Justin Adams on guitars and Dave Bartholomew on trumpet – were among the first generation of rock & rollers.

In 1957, Earl left New Orleans and moved to Los Angeles. He quickly established himself in Hollywood, where he later played on records by Eddie Cochran, Ritchie Valens, Ricky Nelson, Sonny & Cher, Sam Cooke, the Beach Boys, the Monkees, the Righteous Brothers, and many, many more.

Blaine and Palmer were both inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, in the category of Musical Excellence (formerly the Sidemen category).

What we have here today is just a very small fraction of the music Earl played on, and just as I have done with Hal Blaine, I could create several more medleys of Earl Palmer songs.

Memories … That’s What We’re All About

Play buttons are on the left … Volume sliders are on the right

The Earl Palmer medley

Bobby Day – Eddie Cochran
Lloyd Price – Ritchie Valens
Mel Carter – Ricky Nelson
Little Richard – Fats Domino
Sam Cooke – Sonny & Cher
Monkees – Beach Boys
Righteous Brothers