Derek ‘Del’ Palmer – born on November 5, 1952, in Greenwich, London, England – was a bass player and sound engineer best known for his work with iconic singer-songwriter Kate Bush. He began playing bass in 1967, performing with friends in local bands before forming the group Conkers and releasing the single “Tina” in 1975. In 1977, Del Palmer – along with Conkers bandmates Brian Bath and Victor King – became part of Kate Bush’s live band. He then became her romantic partner as well as her go-to bass player. He appeared on most of her studio albums from Lionheart (1978) and Never for Ever (1980) up through 2011’s 50 Words for Snow. Del Palmer became interested in engineering and ended up being the studio engineer on Kate’s albums Hounds of Love (1985), The Sensual World (1989), The Red Shoes (1989), and Ariel (2005). He also appeared in several of her music videos during this time. After his relationship with Kate Bush came to an end, Del Palmer worked on several albums with Billy Sherwood – 2005’s Back Against the Wall and 2006’s Return to the Dark Side of the Moon – before releasing his debut solo album, Leap of Faith, in 2007. He then released two more solo albums: Gift (2010) and Point of Safe Return (2015). Del Palmer died on January 5, 2024, at the age of 71.