"He’s one of the few remaining guitarists on this planet who can pierce your heart and soothe your soul. He inspired me to play guitar." --Carlos Santana
"Bobby Parker is one of the most exciting performers in modern blues." --All Music Guide to the Blues
“The best stuff I ever heard is by a bloke called Bobby Parker.” So said John Lennon, who lifted the signature riff from Parker’s “Watch Your Step” for not just one, but two Beatles hits: “I Feel Fine” and “Day Tripper.” Led Zeppelin meanwhile, constructed “Moby Dick” from the same source, while Robert Plant has acknowledged Parker’s first record “Blues Get Off My Shoulder,” as the disc that inspired him to start singing. Then there’s longtime Parker devotee Carlos Santana, who decided to pick up the guitar after witnessing one of his devastating performances. And the list goes on and on.
A few years ago a portable jukebox was discovered which belonged to John Lennon in the 1960s. The jukebox conntained a tracklist of 40 records - soul, R&B and Rock ’n’ Roll - written in Lennon’s own handwriting. A clip focused on Bobby Parker’s "Watch Your Step"(1961), a song which was one of the many original sources of inspiration for his later songwriting.
Sounds Like
Bobby Parker and Carlos Santana at the Montreux Jazz Fest. On harp Dane Paul Russell, keys Steve Ceicel and Chester Tompson, sax Ken Wenzel, drums Dion Clay, and bass Andrew Padula.
Bobby Parker is a blues rock guitarist. He is best-known for his 1961 song, "Watch Your Step", a single for the V-Tone Records label that became a hit on British and U.S. R&B charts.
Born in Lafayette, Louisiana, but raised in Los Angeles, California, Parker first aspired to a career in entertainment at a young age. By the 1950s, Parker had started working on electric guitar with several big name blues, R&B, and funk groups of the time with his first stint being with Otis Williams and the Charms. Over the next few years, he also played lead guitar with Bo Diddley (including an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show), toured with Paul Williams, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, LaVern Baker, Clyde McPhatter, and the Everly Brothers. In the waning years of the decade, he also toured with Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Little Richard. His first single recorded was done in 1958, while he was working primarily with Williams’ band, and was titled "Blues Get Off My Shoulder". During that same year, he also performed frequently at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
By the early 1960s, Parker had settled into living in the Washington, DC area and played at blues clubs there after having left Williams’ band for good. He recorded the single "Watch Your Step" in 1961, a regional hit that was later covered by the Spencer Davis Group, Dr. Feelgood and Santana. Due to the success of the song, both in the United States and overseas, he toured England in 1968 and recorded his next hit, "It’s Hard to be Fair". Jimmy Page became a fan of Parker’s after seeing him perform in a Washington DC nightclub during a 1972 tour by Led Zeppelin.
For the next two decades, Parker played almost exclusively in the DC area, leaving widespread success only to be venerated in the local blues scene. By the 1990s, Parker started to record again for a broader audience. He recorded his first official album, Bent Out of Shape the Black Top Records label in 1993, with a follow-up in 1995, Shine Me Up. In 1993 he also was the headliner for the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Festival. Parker continues to perform as a regular act at Madam’s Organ Blues Bar in Washington, DC.
Hey Bobby! Thanks for the add my friend. It's good to see you out here on MySpace. It's been a long time since I played bass for you, but I'd be honored to gig with you anytime. Check ya later! -Dale
Hey Bobby!! Thanx for letting me get on stage with you at the Fish Head Cantina!! I look forward to us doing some more real good music together soon!Love ya! St@cy B!
Hey Bobby!! Can't wait for your next show here at Madam's on the 29th. You totally rock the night every time you're here! It’s one of our favorite times! See you then!
