Amanda Palmer

About

Amanda MacKinnon Palmer (born April 30, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and performance artist who is the lead vocalist, pianist, and lyricist of the duo the Dresden Dolls. She performs as a solo artist and was also a member of the duo Evelyn Evelyn and the lead singer and songwriter of Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra. She has gained a cult fanbase and was one of the first musical artists to popularize the use of crowdfunding websites.
Beginning in 2024, sexual assault accusations by numerous women were publicized against Palmer’s ex-husband Neil Gaiman. One accuser alleged abuse happened after Palmer befriended her and sued Palmer for negligence in human trafficking and “procuring and presenting the Plaintiff to Gaiman for such abuse.” Palmer has denied these allegations. The case was dismissed in February 2026 on the grounds of jurisdiction, with the judge ruling the case should be filed in New Zealand.

Amanda MacKinnon Palmer was born in New York City and grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts. Her father Jack Palmer was a physicist and her mother Katharine Mockett was a computer programmer. Her parents divorced when she…