Highest priority
Where is the surviving Soul Train footage?
Locate episode 183 video, stills, logs, or production files.
Sources & Research
Research
What the archive knows, what it suspects, and what it’s still trying to confirm. Research here prioritizes original sleeves, contemporary publications, official credits, copyright records, and firsthand interviews.
How sources are classified
Verified
Established from original records, contemporary sources, official credits, or multiple independent sources that agree. The most solid ground.
Supported
Backed by available sources, though the definitive record hasn't yet been located.
Under investigation
A plausible lead, an unresolved attribution, or a question the archive is still working to answer.
Family oral history
A personal or family account that adds meaningful context, noted separately from independently documented facts.
Active research
Open questions
Under investigation
Highest priority
Can registration N31310 be preserved?
Obtain the original catalog entry, card, or registration file for "Spirit of '76" and "Anyway I'm Busted."
High priority
What was the exact War concert date?
Identify the date of the Swing Auditorium performance shown in the 1976 photograph.
High priority
What was the exact Tower of Power date?
Locate Santa Barbara Bowl calendar, poster, contract, or advertisement.
Medium priority
Did Robert produce or contribute to Brooke Allison recordings?
BMI records confirm Robert's registered composition interests in "Thought You Might Wanna Know" and "Rollercoaster," both possibly connected to Brooke Allison. Locate liner notes, official credits, or session records to confirm whether Robert held a production or other recording role.
Accuracy
What the archive can’t yet confirm
The following are either more complicated than they first appear, or haven’t yet been independently confirmed. They appear here so the record stays honest, and so anyone who knows more can come forward.
- Robert personally received a Grammy nomination. (The nomination for “Stickwitu” is credited to The Pussycat Dolls as performers.)
- Robert performed with Little Richard. (Family testimony places him there, but no published credit or independent document has yet been located.)
- June 4, 1976 was the date of the War concert. (A Billboard listing exists but does not confirm the act name.)
- Robert was present at every engagement attributed to Booty People.
- Robert produced all of Chaka Khan’s Come 2 My House. (His role is documented at track level.)
Documentation
Source library
Sources
- S001
Official obituary for Robert D. Palmer
Legacy or funeral-home record · 2021 · Tier 1
Archive: Family archive
- S002
A Portland man finally meets his father, a Grammy-nominated musician
KGW · 2019-06-12 · Tier 1
Archive: Research archive
- S003
- S004
Come 2 My House (official Chaka Khan album page)
chakakhan.com · 1998 · Tier 1
View source ↗Archive: Research archive
- S006
"Stickwitu" release and writer records
Official and established music databases · 2005 · Tier 1
Archive: Research archive
- S016
- S019
- S021
- S026
- S027
- S028
- S029
Lemonsmyth was a musician, historian, and a valuable part of San Bernardino Americana
Inland Empire Community Newspapers · 2013-05-16 · Tier 1
View source ↗Archive: Research archive PDF and PNG
- S032
- S034
- S035
- S038
- S039
- S040
- S041
- S042
- S043
- S044
- S045
- S046
- S047
- S048
- S049
- S051
- S052
International Electronic Music Hall of Fame -- Facebook group post identifying 'Robert Palmer of San Bernardino' as a Little Richard guitarist
Facebook / iemhof group · Tier 2
View source ↗ - S053
- S054
- S055
- S057
Corrections
If you know something that belongs here, or can correct something that’s wrong, the archive welcomes it. Every correction is logged, reviewed against what’s already on file, and dated. Nothing is silently changed.
Submit a correction →