Passage: Palmer’s drums were heard on classic hits

LOS ANGELES — Earl Palmer, the session drummer whose pioneering backbeats were recorded on classics such as Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti” and The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” has died. He was 84.

Palmer died Friday at his Los Angeles home after a lengthy illness, spokesman Kevin Sasaki said.

Born in New Orleans in 1924 and later moving to Los Angeles, Palmer worked extensively in both cities, recording with some of the music world’s all-time greats on thousands of tracks.

From his Los Angeles home, Palmer drummed for music producer Phil Spector and Motown, and his session credits include artists as diverse as the Monkees, Neil Young and Frank Sinatra.

Palmer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

Associated Press