Bluesman's guitar licks unmatched by business nous
MUSICIAN
31-8-1937 - 1-11-2013
Guitarist and singer Bobby Parker, who has died aged 76, was once described as "the biggest blues legend you've never heard of".
Parker played with everyone from Bo Diddley, Sam Cooke, Chuck Berry, Paul Williams and Little Richard to John Lee Hooker and BB King, and was cited as a major influence by British artists as diverse as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Mick Fleetwood and John Lennon.
In the 1960s, when many British musicians began collecting obscure American R&B singles, one of their favourites was Watch Your Step, which Parker recorded in 1961 for V-Tone records. The song's insistent, pounding riff became a staple of the mod club scene; The Beatles purloined it for I Feel Fine (1964), Led Zeppelin for their 1969 track Moby Dick, and Robin Trower for Procol Harum's Whiskey Train (1970).
No one acknowledged the debt at the time, though in 1974 John Lennon admitted in an interview that both I Feel Fine and Day Tripper had been built on variations of Parker's riff. Meanwhile, the Spencer Davis Group covered Watch Your Step as a single in 1967.
Parker himself never made much money. He received no royalties from V-Tone and never sued anyone for copyright infringement. In the early 1970s he sold 75 per cent of the rights to his songs for $1000. It was only in the 1990s that he got around to releasing an album.
Yet at one time some thought he might become the next Jimi Hendrix. In 1969, Fleetwood Mac invited Parker to England. "It was a great experience," he recalled, "but they wanted me to act like Hendrix, and I was a traditional bluesman. I had two nice little guitars and they wanted me to break them up. I said, man, I'm not breaking up my guitars!" Parker's heroic drinking did not help; at several concerts he was too drunk to perform.
Robert Lee Parker was born on August 31, 1937, in Lafayette, Louisiana, and brought up in Los Angeles.
At the age of 15 he ran away from home and hooked up with bebop band The Charms as a guitarist and singer. This led to a stint with Bo Diddley's band, and then to a gig replacing Little Willie John (Parker's hero) with the Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams Orchestra, the backing band for Sam Cooke and Little Richard, among others. In 1958 he cut his first single with Williams' band, Blues Get Off My Shoulder.
By 1961 he had settled in Washington DC, where over the next decade he led his own band, making regular appearances in nightclubs. With his lacquered hairdo and what one critic described as his "finger-in-the-light-socket vocal delivery", Parker was sometimes likened to the soul singer James Brown, although he rejected the comparison.
He was always a hopeless businessman. In the early 1970s Led Zeppelin, searching for acts for their new Swan Song record label, lent him money to buy a tape recorder. But Parker never sent in a demo tape and for a time in the 1980s gave up performing altogether.
In the 1990s, he returned to playing live and recorded two acclaimed albums.
He was unmarried.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Bobby Parker was a renowned guitarist and singer, often described as 'the biggest blues legend you've never heard of.' He played with iconic musicians like Bo Diddley, Sam Cooke, and BB King, and influenced British artists such as Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.
Bobby Parker's most famous song is 'Watch Your Step,' recorded in 1961. Its riff was influential in the music scene, inspiring tracks like The Beatles' 'I Feel Fine' and Led Zeppelin's 'Moby Dick.'
Despite his influence, Bobby Parker did not achieve significant financial success. He received no royalties from his recordings and sold most of his song rights for a modest sum. He was known to be a 'hopeless businessman.'
Bobby Parker's career was impacted by his personal choices, including heavy drinking, which sometimes left him unable to perform. Additionally, he missed opportunities, such as not sending a demo tape to Led Zeppelin's record label.
Bobby Parker was a major influence on British musicians during the 1960s. His music was admired by artists like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and John Lennon, who incorporated elements of his style into their own work.
Bobby Parker never pursued legal action for copyright infringement, despite his riffs being used by other artists. This decision contributed to his lack of financial gain from his influential work.
Bobby Parker was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, and raised in Los Angeles. He ran away from home at 15 and joined The Charms as a guitarist and singer, which led to his involvement with notable bands and musicians.
Yes, Bobby Parker released albums in the 1990s after returning to live performances. These albums were well-received and marked a resurgence in his music career.
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