[3] Born into a show-business family in New Orleans and raised in the Tremé district, Palmer started his career at five as a tap dancer, joining his mother and aunt on the black vaudeville circuit in its twilight and touring the country extensively with Ida Cox's Darktown Scandals Review.

[5] Palmer served in the United States Army during World War II and was posted in the European theatre.

[6] His biographer wrote, Most Negro recruits were assigned to noncombatant service troops: work gangs in uniform.

[3] Palmer was known for playing on New Orleans recording sessions, including Fats Domino's "The Fat Man" and "I'm Walkin" (and several more of Domino's hits), "Tipitina" by Professor Longhair, "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard (and most of Richard's hits), "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" by Lloyd Price, and "I Hear You Knocking'" by Smiley Lewis.

He also played in jazz sessions with David Axelrod, Dizzy Gillespie, Earl Bostic, Onzy Matthews, and Count Basie, and he contributed to blues recordings by B.B.

He remained in demand as a drummer throughout the 1970s and 1980s, playing on recordings for albums by Randy Newman, Tom Waits, Bonnie Raitt, Tim Buckley, Little Feat and Elvis Costello.

[3] Palmer is interviewed on screen and appears in performance footage in the 2005 documentary film Make It Funky!, which presents a history of New Orleans music and its influence on rhythm and blues, rock and roll, funk and jazz.

King With Peggy Lee With Ketty Lester With Harvey Mandel With Teena Marie With The Monkees With Maria Muldaur With Della Reese With Little Richard With Howard Roberts With Lalo Schifrin With Frank Sinatra With others Palmer was the session drummer for a number of film scores, including:[7] 1961 1963 1964 1965 1967 1968 Palmer was also the session drummer for a number of television show themes and soundtracks, including:[7]