Lee Roy Parnell
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Lee Roy Parnell

Lee Roy Parnell Radio

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FEATURED SONG
Last Day in the Sun
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Last Day in the Sun
Album:
Released: Jun 20, 2009
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General Info

  • Genre: Americana / Blues / Rock

    Location Nashville, Tennessee, Un

    Profile Views: 200597

    Last Login: 2/20/2013

    Member Since 2/9/2006

    Website www.leeroyparnell.com

    Record Label Universal South

    Type of Label Major

  • Bio

    Lee Roy Parnell is part of a long line of Texas roots-music eclectics and is among the elite few who can be identified as a triple threat. An ace guitarist, as well as a distinctive singer, and hit songwriter, his music runs the gamut of diversity. Combining the influences of Blue-Eyed Soul, Delta Blues, Road House Rock, Southern Boogie, Texas Swing, and Gospel, Parnell's sound defies conventional classification. He draws from a broad range of musical sources and combines them with seamless dexterity and, unlike many other hard-to-pigeonhole artists, Parnell has enjoyed a run of success on the country and blues charts. Parnell was born in Abilene, TX, on December 21, 1956, and grew up on his parents' ranch. His father had toured with a teenage Bob Wills in traveling medicine shows, and Lee Roy's first public performance came on Wills' radio show at age six. As a teenager, he played drums in a local band and soon picked up guitar as well, eventually concentrating on slide playing. He joined Kinky Friedman's Texas Jewboys in his late teens and moved to Austin in 1974 to join the city's budding music scene. Parnell spent over a decade playing clubs in Austin, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, and New York while honing his style and songwriting. Lee Roy moved to Nashville in 1987, where he quickly landed a publishing contract with Polygram Music, and a regular spot at the famed Bluebird Cafe. In 1989, he signed to Clive Davis' Arista Records, led by friend and mentor, Tim Dubois. Produced by Barry Beckett, of the world-famous Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Parnell's self-titled debut album featured a collection of horn-driven country-soul. It received good reviews but didn't break him commercially; that would happen with 1992's Love Without Mercy, which emphasized Parnell's searing slide guitar skills. "What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am" and "Tender Moment" both went to number two on the charts, and the title track also made the Top Ten. 1993's On the Road produced two more Top Tens with its title track and "I'm Holding My Own." The Hank Williams / Ray Charles hit, "Take These Chains From My Heart" also made the Top 20. In 1995, Lee Roy was asked to help launch Arista's sister label, Career Records, with the release of We All Get Lucky Sometimes. The album spawned two Top Five hits in "A Little Bit of You" and "Heart's Desire" and featured duets with Trisha Yearwood and Mary Chapin Carpenter. "A Little Bit of You" was also a #1 hit on the Radio and Records Magazine charts; a first for a brand new label. During this time, Parnell's sound was becoming more defined by roots and soul music. He was also allowed the creative freedom to record with some of his heroes, such as Tex-Mex accordionist Flaco Jimenez. Their collaboration on the track "Cat Walk" garnered a Grammy Nomination for Best Country Instrumental. Parnell released "Every Night's A Saturday Night" in 1997. The album included another duet with Trisha Yearwood and the Grammy nominated boogie-woogie instrumental, "Mama Screw Your Wig On Tight," which was written and produced by Lee Roy and his entire band, "The Hot Links" (James Pennebaker / Kevin McKendree / Lee Roy Parnell / Lynn Williams / Stephen Mackey). Next up was Parnell's "Hits and Highways Ahead" in 1999. Lee Roy's recording of the Son House tune, "John The Revelator," featuring the "Fairfield Four," garnered a CMA nomination for Vocal Event of The Year. The album also included the popular track "Honky Tonk Night Time Man," handpicked and sent to him by Lee Roy's good friend and mentor, the legendary Merle Haggard. An official video was also produced for the song "Lucky You, Lucky Me." Following his deal at Arista and Career, Parnell was ready to expand his musical horizons and partnered up with the rootsy Vanguard label in Los Angeles. His debut album with them was 2001's Tell the Truth, which was recorded at the world-renowned Muscle Shoals Sound by Johnny Sandlin (chief engineer for Capricorn Records and The Allman Brothers Band). In keeping with his quest for more artistic freedom, he teamed back up with Universal South in 2006, to return to the studio to record Back to the Well. This album delved even further into his blues and southern soul roots. With the release of this album, Parnell received some very rare support from Gibson Guitars with a series of guitar clinics interwoven with tour dates across the country in a custom Gibson tour bus. Lee Roy's relationship with Gibson and the Les Paul is not a new one. Parnell's first Goldtop was a 1956 model he bought when he was 15-years-old and was his only guitar well into his 30's. Although he experimented for a few years after that with different guitars, searching for his own sound, he ultimately returned to his first love, the 1956 Les Paul Goldtop in 2001 and helped Gibson reinvigorate the model. Talks then came about to develop a Lee Roy Parnell signature model and culminated with a final eight months of arduous development, producing Gibson's Lee Roy Parnell Signature '57 Les Paul Goldtop. You can read more information about the guitar at gibson.com. The year 2011 brought Lee Roy Parnell what is probably his most cherished honor to date, when he was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriter's Hall of Fame. Parnell continues to produce and write with some of the most influential songwriters and recording artists nationwide as co-partner in his music publishing company, Dean Parnell Music, and is currently preparing for his first independent release.

  • Members

  • Influences

    Robert Johnson, The Allman Brothers, Merle Haggard, Bob Wills,

  • Sounds Like

Stream

  1. Lee Roy Parnell

    Downbeat at 8:30 in Temple, Texas! Good to be Home!!!

  2. Lee Roy Parnell

    Pulling into Temple, Tx with my #1 Son!

  3. Lee Roy Parnell

    Happy Birthday, to the incomparable, Kevin McKendree. The piano doesn't get any better! http://t.co/llh82Zs7lQ

  4. Lee Roy Parnell

    The Great George Jones has gone on to glory! Our thoughts and prayers go out to Nancy and the Jones family.

  5. Lee Roy Parnell

    My Heart, Thoughts & Prayers go out to the victims & The Families of the Victims of the explosion in West, Texas. May God be with You All.

Videos

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Comments

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  • Blonde Apache

    Just a note to keep you active here on MySpace. Miss you on here. Love you as always

    7 months ago
  • Wicked Kate

    rock on :)
    https://www.facebook.com/katieshoreymusic

    7 months ago
  • Liz Linville

     miss you on here Lee Roy. Facebook is just not as much fun

    9 months ago
  • Robert Hunt

    Just heard Daddies & Daughters, right after I talked with My Daughter.
    looks like I found the song to dance with her at her wedding reception.
    How about a guest apperance?

    11 months ago
  • Jim Neelley

     Hey Lee Roy!!! Just thought i would say HI...Been a long time...

    1 year ago
  • Diane Klein

    What a sweet man with terrific talent!  We met at NAMM and we want you in North San Diego County, Lee Roy!  Thanks for the great photo we got.  I'd love to send it to you. 

    1 year ago
  • Andrea Whitehurst

    Why are you only playiung one show on the boat?????  I'm bummed! 

    1 year ago
  • Liz Linville

    you are never on my space anymore and facebook lacks the personal feel you had on here. I miss you. Gotta go see you soon

    1 year ago
  • Rockin Horse Duo

    Thank you~Have been Fans for Years.Your Great !

    1 year ago
  • THE PSALMS OF FAITH OF …

     when your next tour date

    1 year ago
10 of 1235More

BIOGRAPHY

Lee Roy Parnell is part of a long line of Texas roots-music eclectics and is among the elite few who can be identified as a triple threat: an ace guitarist as well as a distinctive singer and hit songwriter. His music runs the gamut of diversity: blue-eyed soul, Deltablues, road house rock, Southern boogie, Texas swing, and gospel defying conventional classification. He draws from a broad range of music sources and combines them with seamless dexterity and, unlike many other hard-to-pigeonhole artists, Parnell has enjoyed a run of success on the country charts. Parnell was born in Abilene, TX, on December 21, 1956, and grew up on his parents' ranch; his father had toured with a teenage Bob Wills in traveling medicine shows, and Lee Roy's first public performance came on Wills' radio show at age six. As a teenager, he played drums in a local band and soon picked up guitar as well, eventually concentrating on slide playing. He joined Kinky Friedman's Texas Jewboys in his late teens and moved to Austin in 1974 to join the city's budding music scene. Parnell spent over a decade playing clubs in Austin, Houston, and Dallas/Fort Worth, and New York while honing his style and songwriting. Lee Roy moved to Nashville in 1987 and quickly landed a publishing contract and a regular spot at the famed Bluebird Café. He signed to Arista's Nashville division in 1989 and the next year released his self-titled debut album, a collection of horn-driven country-soul. It received good reviews but didn't break him commercially; that would happen with 1992's Love Without Mercy, which mostly dispensed with the horns and emphasized Parnell's slide guitar. "What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am" and "Tender Moment" both went to number two on the country charts, and the title track also made the Top Ten. 1993's On the Road produced two more Top Tens in its title track and "I'm Holding My Own," and his duet with Ronnie Dunn (of Brooks & Dunn) on Hank Williams' "Take These Chains From My Heart" made the Top 20. 1995's We All Get Lucky Sometimes found Parnell tailoring his sound to country radio a bit more and featured duets with Trisha Yearwood, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Tex-Mex accordionist Flaco Jimenez. It also spawned two Top Five hits in "A Little Bit of You" and "Heart's Desire." Following his deal at Arista, Parnell next wound up on the rootsy Vanguard label, debuting for them with 2001's Tell the Truth. He returned to the studio in 2006 with Back to the Well. Also that year, Lee Roy made the segue into the music publishing world by co-partnering in a company, Dean Parnell Music. In addition to being a music publisher, Lee Roy is currently producing and writing with some of the most influential songwriters and recording artists nationwide.

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