Guitarist Carl Carlton On Robert Palmer (2025)

German rock guitarist Carl Carlton, who played on Robert Palmer's albums Drive and Rhythm & Blues recently posted a touching tribute to his musical mentor on Instagram. Here is its transcription.

"One of the greatest milestones, if not the greatest, not because of his fame, but because of what I took from it, what I lived through, this milestone was Robert Palmer. I passed the audition to be in Robert Palmer's band. In my wildest dreams, I would never have imagined that I would one day play in his band. Let alone become his friend and work with him.

I always saw him almost like the big brother I never had. I have no siblings. My parents had passed away long before. Among this type of role models, I often saw someone who served as a family-member role model for me. And somehow Robert became the older brother, because I also spent a lot of time with him privately. At that time, he lived in Switzerland, in Ticino. He had a studio there in the basement.

Palmer's converted mill house in Switzerland: "He had a studio there in the basement"

I owe Robert an incredible amount when it comes to culture. Not only music, but also film, fashion,... I learned an unbelievable amount. And especially in music, when it comes to rhythm. Those very exotic Caribbean and African rhythms. He was an absolute master of them.

Writing with him or being in the studio with him pushed me very far forward. Through the encounters that came through him, because we were traveling around the world: London, Paris, and so on... I was like Alice in Wonderland!

Robert Palmer: my greatest milestone."

Carl Carlton on RP: "I always saw him almost like the big brother I never had"

Carl Carlton (December 2025)

instagram@carlcarlton_official

Voir aussi :

• Carl Carlton And Melanie Wiegmann: Glory Of Love (2023)