Dee Palmer

Dee Palmer was, along with Ian McDonald of King Crimson and Foreigner, a member of that small cohort of English rock musicians who learned the rudiments of their art as a member of the armed forces. While serving in a cavalry regiment, Palmer took up the clarinet and later attended the Royal Military School of Music. After returning to civilian life, Palmer studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music, winning the Eric Coates Prize -- named for the renowned composer of "light" classics such as the "Knightsbridge March" -- for composing in her senior year. In 1967, she ma...