Five New Songs on Broadjam's Top 10 Charts	Posted: Feb 15, 2009
"The Price of Fame" remained as #4 on the Top 10 Blues Charts and #1 on the Top 10 Blues Rock charts for several months. I now have some new songs on the Top 10 Blues and Top 10 Blues Rock charts and have been picking up spots on the Top 10 Blues Country and Top 10 Top 10 Female Fan Pick charts....Wow, I feel so lucky....Thanks to all the Reviewers who got me there!! Here's My Current Top 10 Songs: "The Only Thing" - #4 in Top 10 Blues Chart and #1 in Top 10 Blues Rock Chart "Walkin' Out On You" - #4 in Top 10 Blues Rock Chart "Things Are Gonna Be Different" - This song has 2 spots in the Top 10 Country Blues Chart!!! It's #3 (Running Monkey Music / John Parker & Forced Call) and also #10 in the Country Blues Charts "I'll Never Be Free" - #5 in Top 10 Country Blues Chart "When I Reach My Destination" - #8 in Top 10 Female Fan Picks Chart
John receives 2008 Rock City Music Award	Posted: Dec 13, 2008
John received a great honor at the Rock City Music Awards on December 12th at the Hacienda Corona Theater in North Hollywood. He was awarded with the very coveted "Blues Lifetime Achievement" Award and Rock City did a full page article about his life and music their special 2008 "Rockies Edition" Magazine.
John Parker "Self Titled" CD Review - Mary4Music.com	Posted: Dec 31, 2008
PETER "BLEWZZMAN" LAURO, © December 2008 Prelude: JOHN PARKER has always written songs that are funny and true to his personal life. Suffering from liver cancer, his music became his medicine - it gave him his happiness and kept him going for several years. The finishing touches were put on this "Self-Titled" CD just days before he passed away. None of the music he ever wrote was more personal than the songs that appear on this disc. As I listened to them, it became quite clear to me that I was listening to a man who knew his fate, accepted it and actually used it in a positive way. On one of the tracks, JOHN says that if he ever had a chance to live his life over again, the only thing he'd change was that he'd "Find a cure for the blues". If you ask me, I believe he already had. ********************************* JOHN PARKER may be known as the "The Rockin' Bluesman", but make no mistake about it - his music is not Blues Rock, it is the Blues. I guess the association with "Rockin" comes from the claim that his music will "make you leave your seat and get up on your dancin' feet." So let's start dancin'. On his second release - a self titled CD - JOHN PARKER, on Lead Guitar & Vocals, was joined by JEFF JENSEN on Rhythm Guitar, BILL RUFFINO on Bass and Backup Vocals, STEVE HALTER on Keyboards, Organ & Piano, CHRIS COLLIER on Drums and Backup Vocals, RALPH MUEGGLER on Drums, NATE LA POINTE on Guitar, Slide Guitar & Pedal Steel, SHERRY PRUITT on Backup Vocals and KYLE CULKIN on Guitar. It sounds like some of the lyrics on the opening track may have come to JOHN while watching a TV commercial. "No money down, easy pay, divorce / bankrupt / bad credit OK - same day financing - drive it away". All of that obviously made it easy for him to say "I GOT ME A NEW CAR". This one featured great guitar work from John and exceptional rhythm from Bill & Chris on the bass and drums. "I AIN'T GONNA GIVE UP" was obviously more than the title of this song - it was JOHN'S belief. This track pretty much tells his story and in doing so offers some pretty encouraging advice as well. Musically it's one of the discs best. JOHN'S smokin' it on guitar, NATE'S great on the Pedal Steel and the rest of the band's jammin' out. Real good stuff. JOHN'S realism makes it easy for him to say he's going to "FORGET ALL HIS FEARS". This, one of the few slower tracks, features more amazing real life lyrics, great lead and backup vocals, soft piano and organ work from STEVE and great blues guitar licks from JOHN. "I'VE GOT THE BLUES" is a smoker. C'mon, would you expect anything less with a title like that? This one features some of JOHN'S best guitar work and some real hot piano blues from Steve. As on most tracks, the rhythm section's at it's peak. More good stuff right here. With the rest of the band in a real soft groove behind him, "HOPELESS ROMANCE" is all about the man, his vocals, his guitar, his thoughts and his emotions. This is JOHN PARKER at his best. I dare you to not hit replay at the end of this one. There's nothing worse than having the blues "EARLY IN THE MORNING", as this track will attest. On the other hand, if ya gotta get up early in the morning, this one will have you doin' a calypso before you even have your coffee. Great percussion and backup vocals highlight this Island sounding tune. "I'LL NEVER BE FREE" is definitely one of the songs they were talking about when they said JOHN PARKER'S music will make you leave your seat and get up on your dancin' feet. However, to this one, you'll be doin' a lot more swaying than rockin'. What an absolutely beautiful and relaxing song. JOHN'S vocals and STEVE'S keyboards will surely sweep you away. Although there is more, this appears to be the most fitting song to close with. Other tracks on this remarkable disc include: "THE PRICE OF FAME", "LOVE'S GONNA FIND YOU", "MY VALENTINE", "QUEEN OF THE DAMNED" and 'WAITIN' FOR THE WATER TO RISE". I know I close out all of my reviews stating how much I loved what I just listened to and wrote about, and I always recommend you grab a copy for your collection, and that's because I choose my reviews. Having said that, if you've never listened to that advice before, do yourself a real favor and take heed....even if it's the first and last time you do. This may very well be the most interesting CD I've heard all year. Please check out JOHN PARKER'S web site by going to www.JohnParkerBlues.com - and you won't have to tell him the Blewzzman sent ya..... I have a feeling he already knows that. PETER "BLEWZZMAN" LAURO, © December 2008 Blues editor @ www.Mary4Music.com
"Self Titled" wins 2008 "Best Self Produced CD" Competition	Posted: Nov 13, 2008
John's new "Self Titled" CD just won the 2008 Los Angeles Regional "Best Self Produced CD" Competition. It's next stop is Memphis, Tennessee where it will be judged by Industry Professionals, Radio DJs and Record Labels as part of the International Blues Challenge.
4 Songs on Broadjam's Top 10 Charts	Posted: Nov 10, 2008
"The Price of Fame" is #4 - Top 10 Blues Charts and #1 on the Blues Rock Charts "Walkin' Out On You" is #5 - Top 10 Blues Rock Charts "Things Are Gonna Be Different" with my band, Forced Call is #3 - Top 10 Country Blues Charts
"When I Reach My Destination" appears on NCIS Series	Posted: Dec 1, 2008
11/14/07 Good news... I've recently signed a deal with CBS/Paramount for the songs on my "Off The Clock" album to appear on their television shows. John Parker's "When I Reach My Destination" will appear on one of the episodes of the hit series "NCIS" on Tuesday, November 20th.
John Parker wins 2007 Rock City Music Award	Posted: Dec 18, 2007
Rock City News December 7th, 2007 Last night at the very packed BB King's in Hollywood, John Parker was presented with the coveted "Outstanding Blues Band of the Year" trophy at the 2007 Rock City Music Awards show for his musical involvement and work with one of his bands "John Parker & Forced Call".
John Parker is Chicago Music Guide's	Posted: Nov 15, 2007
Chicago Music Guide Interview with John Parker by Dennis M. Kelly Dennis: Now John, you've played music for hire since the age of 14, when did you realize that music was in your blood? John: I was always fascinated with music when I was growing up. I flirted with several instruments like tenor sax and piano before I found the guitar and their mystifying spell. Dennis: What types of paying jobs did you get at age 14, anyway? John: I played with a kid band, which was managed, and with a twelve piece soul band "Corny and the Corvettes", which also featured a 13 year old drummer, "Little Eddie Wonder". We played fairs , VFWs and Dance Halls. I learned so much in those days and it was then that I realized I was born to be a band leader. Dennis: What about these performers (Django Reinhardt, BB King, Freddie King and Buddy Guy) influenced you most as a child? John: Django is the best single line player I've ever heard. BB's taste and vibrato are classic. Freddie makes me want to play guitar all night long. Buddy gave me raw emotion and showed me how to "bust loose" with it. You can hear each one of them in my playing, but not because I put them there. Dennis: What prompted the moves to Atlanta and back to California again? John: I was touring with a band that ended up in Atlanta and fell in love with the people and the music and stayed for a few years. I began my "2nd Career" in the film industry while living there and met my soul mate who was also in the industry. We worked together for three years and then got married and she agreed to move to California so we could pursue our dreams together. I am originally from Santa Cruz, California, having a lot of family here and of course, I have a deep love for the ocean. I've been sailing yachts most of my life. I currently have a 52' cutter rigged ketch which means it's a 2 masted boat with several sails. I also race boats with our local yacht clubs and even "win" from time to time. Dennis: What did you like most about Atlanta's music scene and what did you like least? John: Atlanta was full of great people and lots of talent. The neighborhood where I lived was a hot bed of musicians and everybody from that group of friends has gone on to great things musically. What I liked the least was the constant rumor that something big was going to happen in the "Big A", like becoming the "recording hub of the South". Dennis: What are some of the positive experiences that you've gained from being in several bands prior to forming your own? John: You grow by playing with other musicians, both musically and spiritually. You learn to participate in the thoughts and feelings of others. I absorb a lot from other players. Like someone can play a riff, then I'll pay a riff that's different, but it sounds the same because it's colored the same. Playing is so personal. Personality and soul are reflected in your efforts and, to capture a little of someone's "mojo" is what makes your "gumbo" spicy. Dennis: I understand you all have some Hollywood backgrounds as parts of your day jobs, is that correct? John: Yes, every one of us works on the "dirty side" of the camera. I ran the Fixtures Department at Paramount and also worked as a Prop Master, our drummer is a Grip, our keyboardist is a Studio Session Player and our Bass Player is a Teamster. Dennis: Are there any Hollywood movie themes or influences that you inject into your music in any way, shape or form? John: Yes, one of my new songs, "The Price of Fame" is about a celebrity-type who is always being hunted and just wants to find a place where nobody knows his name. "City Nights", from my "Off the Clock" CD, sets up the action for a music video scene. Dennis: When searching for band members, what were the biggest concerns for you; what qualities mattered most? John: Really good players always seem to just fall from the sky and the band was just blessed from the start. All these guys had incredible resumes - they've played with some of the greats - but now most of them have wives, kids and jobs that makes traveling and touring tough. Luckily, there are lots of clubs and festivals in Southern California, so we continue to stay busy. When my new upcoming CD is released, I am planning to put together a touring show with a few artists that can travel and also are into the same style of music. Aside from being good with your instrument, my main concerns were that everybody got along, were committed to excellence and most importantly, we all agree on that "one" is like "1, 2, 3, 4", you know, the basics. Dennis: Have the rest of the band's playing influenced your playing style as well? John: Yes! My Bass player, Bryan, is from the Country Music world and my drummer, Danny is a total Rocker and I'm a Bluesman. We started playing together and what we ended up with was an aggressive sound covering Blues, R&B, Gospel and Country Rock. So now, Bryan and Danny play more like me and I play more like them and all three of us play more like Steve, our genius Keyboardist. We all continue to grow from and because of each other. Dennis: Besides what is already listed on the bio, what more can you tell me about the rest of the band? What sort of personality dynamic do you all share with each other? John: We all get along well, do BBQs and get together on birthdays and anniversaries, etc. It's important to all of us that our families are involved. My wife has always been wrapped up in promoting us. She does all our websites, graphics, photography, videography, mailings, emails, advertising and cd sales as well as also working full time in the television & film industry herself. Lately, she's even had me doing solo gigs at her friends' restaurants so I have no spare time at all. Dennis: You've currently got an album out called, "Off the Clock" that was released in 2005. It has ten tracks and has been on sale through CDBaby and downloadable through Broadjam, iTunes, iSound, Tower Records and several other sites. How has the album done for you thus far? John: The album is actually doing pretty good. Since it was my debut album, I decided to let all the songs play in their entirety so you don't have to purchase it to hear the whole CD. We have a lot of downloads of singles and still make quite a few online sales of the entire CD. Eight of the ten songs continue to get great reviews on Broadjam and most are receiving airplay at radio stations all over the world. We, of course, make our best sales at our concerts and festivals. People want to take home the memory of what they just heard. Quite a few of our customers tell us that they keep "Off the Clock" running in their car most of the time. The songs all just seem to flow very well from one to the other and it's very easy to listen to. Dennis: I understand you are putting together your second album now. How is that progressing? John: I'm in the studio right now. All the material is written and sung by me. It's all Blues with a Gospel song or two thrown into the mix with an up tempo high energy twist. Doug James, aka "Mr. Low", who plays with the "Duke Robillard Band", will be playing some sax on the CD. Also, Steve Annan will be adding some slide guitar on a couple of tunes. It's really turning into a dream project and I can't wait to have the finished product in my hands. Dennis: Do you have a name set for the album yet? John: No, but a couple of songs were inspired by my battle with cancer, which led to a liver transplant, so "Survivor" might be appropriate. Dennis: Are you looking for a larger distribution on this album than on your previous one? Or are you going to stay the course with your distribution/selling methods? John: I'm definitely going to maintain the distribution that I currently have and would love to get even more exposure and a much larger distribution. The music speaks for itself and I'm sure with a good agency, the music will soar. I'm a musician not a publicist, and any serious recording musician needs one. It's extremely important to get your music out there so it can be heard and there are times that you need a professional to help get it there. Dennis: You already have a presence on iTunes, Broadjam, CDBaby and MySpace, as well as your official band website. How important is a digital presence for you and the band and how important do you feel it is for other bands too? John: I actually have presence on about 30 more sites that you didn't name, as well. The "Digital Era"-- has changed distribution tremendously. I would be nowhere without it. I think CD stores should be turned into showcases to promote the music they are selling. I see online record sales making retail stores a thing of the past. This is the genesis of a new age that will bring all bands to the playing field. You don't have to be a lawyer to get your music out there anymore. I highly recommend that every band get a digital distributor. Dennis: Where do you (personally) find your greatest satisfaction, Writing? Recording? Performing? John: I'm a performer and I love performing the songs I've written. Recording takes endurance, it takes time to build a song X 10 or 12, but the satisfaction of going the distance and holding that finished CD in my hands is such a rush and gives me an incredible sense of accomplishment and is extremely exciting. Dennis: Looking back two years now, how would you say the music has changed? John: I think everything ripens with time, making it sweeter. My subject matter has gotten deeper with more messages relating to the present times and my guitar playing has gotten more tasteful and has really matured. Dennis: How would you describe your concerts? John: Really fun! Everyone in the band is an entertainer. Steve, "The Lord of the Boards", is a very exciting keyboard player. He'll stand his keyboard on end and rip up and down the keys. Bryan, Steve and I play a lot of stuff, so when we're not doing a harmony riff together, we are dueling. We always have a great time and our audiences all seem to really enjoy the show. We are constantly adding new moves to the show. They just sort of happen and then evolve into the act. A lot of the moves we make on stage usually have some funny story behind them. Dennis: You've had a lot of great shows including performing with Chicago Bob Nelson, Big Joe Jackson, Tinsley Ellis, Butch Travette & The Alley Cats, the late Piano Red and opening for the Coco Montoya, Juice Newton and The Beach Boys. What other highlights would you want to mention of your live shows? John: The Beach Boys concert was great! We were pretty new on the scene at that point but we gave a flawless performance in front of thousands of people. Since then, we have played with a lot of national acts and at quite a few blues clubs & festivals. I want to say that we have really been blessed to grace the stages of some of the best clubs in LA and all over California. Dennis: Your calendar is currently set up thru the end of October, do you have more shows booked after that? John: In November, I'll be putting the finishing touches on my CD, like mastering, artwork, printing and so forth. Then, by mid January, I should have the new product in hand. That's the plan and I'm just starting to book next year now. I always have some repeat concerts and festivals that book us every year but don't have most of their definite dates for 2008 so I haven't included them on our calendar yet. Dennis: What are your future plans both musical and personal? John: Musical - I plan to play and sing as long as I can / Personal - I live one day at a time, that's the way it is living with cancer. I book a pretty ambitious schedule and so far I haven't missed a downbeat. I've played while sick and even did a huge two hour concert only twenty one days after my liver transplant surgery, while still stapled together. I wasn't about to cancel the booking and I was determined that the show would go on. Dennis: Where do you find your greatest enjoyment in music as well as in life? John: I think watching and listening to the kids play - the next generation of the blues. Dennis: What is your greatest achievement thus far and what would you still like to accomplish yet? John: That's a very hard question to answer. I feel that everyday my music is heard is an achievement and yet I see the long road in front of me of all my dreams that need to still be fulfulled. I'm very much into Charities and Benefits and doing work to help out people who are in need. I do a lot of work with The American Cancer Society, not only as a Performer and as an Entertainment Coordinator but also as a Legislative Ambassador and that work is extremely fulfilling. To date, I have been involved in musical events that have helped raise over two and a half million dollars in the last four years. I'm also currently the President of the Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society and am very involved with all our projects, which sometimes are very challenging and always fulfulling. At the moment, I'm working on starting an annual blues festival here in LA that will target different charities every year like the homeless shelters, battered women, our schools, to name a few. I want to focus on fixing the things that need our help here in Los Angeles. Dennis: Well John, thank you so much for your time this morning. It's really been a pleasure talking to you and learning more about your talents. The Chicago Music Guide wishes you the best of luck with all your future musical endeavors.
"Music From The Heart" - Easy Ready Newspaper Article on John's Life	Posted: Dec 4, 2007
"Music From The Heart - Parker Plays On" Easy Reader News - Beach Edition by Anna Mavromati Published November 29, 2007 Water was still leaking out of the freshly-stapled flap of skin on John Parker's abdomen when he played a concert on the Redondo Beach Pier during the summer of 2005. His black pants were soaking wet and he could hear his soggy boots squishing as he walked off the stage. Twenty-one days prior to the performance, Parker underwent a transplant surgery to replace his cancerous liver. His body was pumped with water to keep his veins flowing throughout the procedure. He was still recovering from the operation when he wrapped padding around his waist to absorb the liquid, packed up his equipment, and headed out to play guitar and sing at the two-hour show he had booked a few months prior. A few months after receiving the liver transplant, Parker's cancer returned. For a little more than a year now, he has continued various chemotherapy treatments but he has also continued to write music and perform live shows. Cancer didn't keep him from his music then, and it certainly isn't going to now. "The music has kept me on top. It really has," Parker said. "It's kept me alive and it's kept me moving." He can be seen performing at Sammy's Woodfire Pizza in Torrance the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. He also organizes the entertainment to raise funds for the American Cancer Society with his own Blues band and other Blues bands from the Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society. Groups from this Society, presided over by Parker as its president, do shows for fundraisers and rallies in Burbank, Santa Clarita, and the Beach Cities every year. Parker and his band are also nominated for "Best Blues Band" at the Rock City Music Awards this year, which will be held Dec. 6 at Universal City Walk. Parker plans on releasing a new album by February. He said no matter what condition his health becomes, he'll try to complete the album by its deadline. "I know I can play guitar in a hospital bed. If I can play it behind my head, I can play in bed," Parker said with a laugh. Parker's liver cancer was first detected about four years ago. He had fallen off a ladder at work—setting up lighting fixtures for films at Paramount Pictures—and cracked a few ribs. While getting a CAT scan to check that his lungs were in good shape, doctors noticed a tumor in his liver that was four inches in diameter—the size of a large orange. "And we were looking at the lung," Parker said. "They say the Lord works in mysterious ways, and this was pretty mysterious." Parker needed a liver transplant. Although he had friends who were willing to become donors for him, doctors said that Parker needed an entire liver. Otherwise his strong blood flow would overwhelm a partial organ from a living donor. A couple of weeks later, as Parker was loading a new refrigerator onto his boat in King Harbor, he got a phone call from the UCLA Medical Center. They had a liver, but it would expire if he didn't make it to the hospital within two hours. Parker left the refrigerator in storage and immediately went in. Three weeks later, he had a gig to perform. "I didn't cancel the thing. I just went and did it," Parker said. "And it didn't stop there. I just kept on doing it. Usually, like, three nights a week I had a show to do." After receiving the replacement liver, Parker's liver cancer metastasized in his lungs a little more than a year ago. Earlier this month, a tumor caused by the cancer was discovered in Parker's heart. Doctors are not yet sure if they can operate on Parker due to his pre-existing condition, but he will be re-examined when he begins showing symptoms. Parker said one of the best ways he's found to fight the cancer is to get as much information as possible, stay active and to "hit the music hard." "It's his medicine," said Barbara Ramsey-Duke of Lily in the Field Marketing and Promotions, who books shows for Parker and his band. "What he does with his music, I really believe it's why he's still here." John was wearing his black Hard Rock Café sweater, sitting in the cabin of his boat as he talked about playing in a band called "Corny and the Corvettes" when he was 14, then getting wrapped up in the "hippie invasion" and psychedelic rock. He grew up in Santa Cruz, but he's toured through Arizona, Mexico and Texas playing music, and although he started out playing blues, it wasn't until he moved to Atlanta, Ga. that he returned to the genre. His music has taken on a "whole new color" since the cancer diagnosis. He has a few songs inspired by his experience with cancer with titles like "Forget All Your Fears" and "I'll Never Give Up." He sang a few lines from his upcoming album: "Sitting here dreamin'/thinking about another time/when life was in color/and not so black and white." "If it wasn't for the music, you know, I'd probably lay there in bed like everyone else," Parker said. "I put on this happy face and get out there and talk and say you've got to fight. And my new album is filled with songs about the fight." One thing Parker said he definitely does not want to do is let depression consume him. "So what do I do when I start feeling a little mushy like that? I just move on to something else before I start getting all gummy, because I don't think that gummy feeling's good for you," he said. "Being sick, making music, being famous, or any adventure you're going to go on, you've got to wrap your mind around it and take it all." He said he lives by a quote he once heard: "He who speculates from the shore about the ocean shall know only its surface, but he who would know the depths of the ocean must be willing to plunge into it." The line comes from spiritual leader Meher Baba...."In essence what that tells me is, free your mind and your ass will follow," Parker said with a smirk. "You just got to go for it, wherever it's going to take you, you got to go all the way." Parker wears dark sunglasses and a straw hat to cover his shaved head. After chemotherapy caused his hair to start falling out and made him look like a "mangy dog," Parker said he decided to shave it off and not grow it back. But he still keeps a full gray mustache. John is a dock captain for the King Harbor Marina and one of the founders of the "Sea Scum Sailing Society," also known as "The High Society of Ocean Low Life." He lives with his wife, Lynn, on their 56-foot sailboat in King Harbor and in their back-and-forth home in Santa Clarita. The couple met on the set for a Spike Lee film, "School Days". "We feel like we've always together," Lynn said. "It's funny because, when I first met him it was like looking into the mirror, and he was me. Our life together has always been like that - our souls are very much a part of each other". Lynn still works as a Set Decorator for films and television. Parker said that his family and friends have been extremely supportive, and have coped with his condition well – probably because he is doing so well mentally. "Having the support around you is everything, and sometimes it pulls on the heartstrings thinking about how wonderful people are," Parker said. "It gets real hard to keep yourself together." As for how Parker himself is coping with his life, he said he doesn't want to waste too much of his time worrying about the cancer. "I'm not going to worry about it, and I don't worry about dying," he said. "I mean, sooner or later, you know, you got to go." "Fortunately I've got everything sort of taken care of," he said. "My retirement is in place and my wife's going to be taken care of, and I'm comfortable with that. But there's not much more I can do about it and there's no use in fretting over it. Just enjoy what time you've got left. "I figure like this, I'm just going to party on just as hard as I can, and when it gets to the point where it's starting to take me down, then I figure I've got at least another four or five months of kicking and screaming until I die. But I'm not going to sit on my butt until the kicking and screaming comes." As Parker played one of his gigs at Sammy's Pizza, his redheaded wife traveled from table to table in the restaurant, mingling with all the friends who had come to see Parker play. "He's not like anybody else I know," said Lynn, sitting at a booth while John leaned back, closed his eyes and played a guitar solo. "I don't think anybody could have been through a lot of the stuff that he's been through with his health and still be up there playing. I have high hopes he will get the best of it - he's definitely a Survivor."
The Blues Is Alive and Well - A Signal Newspaper Article about John Parker	Posted: Feb 15, 2009
IN SANTA CLARITA, THE BLUES ARE ALIVE AND WELL. CAROL ROCK Staff Writer February 11, 2007 SANTA CLARITA -- You don't have to shoot a man in Memphis just to watch him die to appreciate a good blues lick. It helps if you can put that soulful scenario to music, though, and if you do, John Parker invites you to jam. As president of the Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society, he and about 125 other close friends are dedicated to keeping the genre alive and well. "There was a period when it almost fell off the map, but there's been a lot of interest lately", Parker said. "I think it's people from 45 to 60 who are really getting into this". The group organized in 2003 and maintains a full schedule of concerts and laid-back jam sessions. They've even sent bands to the International Blues Competition in Memphis and came out with second-place winners in 2005 in Michael John and The Bottom Line. Their soul is in the community, where members participate in fundraisers for local charities. The only time they raise money for themselves is to help the competing bands go to Memphis. "We're sending a band and a solo/duo group, so we try to cover the airfare and some of the hotel", Parker said. "Most societies don't give their musicians anything and the bands can't afford this kind of trip." Parker said that Santa Clarita has "a great gene pool'' for blues players. "I run into guys who played with people like Rod Stewart and Joe Cocker at the grocery store", Parker said. "You'd be surprised." He's been playing guitar since he was 9, borrowing a neighbor's instrument so often that they finally told him to keep it. Along with playing himself, he quickly rattles off a schedule of blues music that covers nearly every night of the week. The group plays regularly at local establishments such as the Londoner, All Corked Up winery in Canyon Country on Tuesdays, Primo Pizza in Saugus Wednesdays and some Thursdays, the Roast House on Thursdays and Rendezvous in Newhall on Sundays. Parker has also made the blues part of a cause near to his heart. A cancer survivor himself, he organized the first ever SCV Blues Festival for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, featuring several member bands and high school blues/jazz combos. It was such a hit, they were asked to do a two-hour jam session the following month at Burbank's Relay for Life. John Parker and his band, plays gigs all over Southern California. He's retired from the film industry, where he used to be a prop master. The blues that keep the hound dogs howling also keep the wolf away from the door. Howard "Bluesdaddy" Fairchild, a friend of Parker's, jotted down his thoughts on the blues in an e-mail: "Almost everyone loves the blues, though many don't realize this quintessential fact", he wrote. "Sooner or later, Valley kids raised on FM '70s, '80s and '90s rock will step into a pub where a three-piece band is smokin' 12-bar blues and they will gain a new purpose in life". "Love, loyalty, sex, money, jealousy, broken hearted, drinkin', smokin', down on my luck, stuck with this ole dog again ... Oh, the stinging note of a high E string on a Stratocaster, Robert Johnson's tortured acoustic, Muddy Waters' silk suits and mojo, Clapton's `From the Cradle,' Tommy Castro's soul-infused magic, makes me wanna stop writin' this, wipe the tears from my eyes and play". "The blues is all emotion. It's the gateway to jazz. It lacks sophistication because it doesn't need it. It requires honesty and expects devotion. It don't make no promises, 'cause life don't. If you listen to the blues, you will hear your story". Proving you don't have to be a boomer or more to appreciate the blues, teen musicians Charlie Tichenor and Chris Pucher are proof that the genre will live on. Tichenor has played at B.B. King's Blues Club and jams regularly with blues legend Nat Dove. Pucher is currently a solo act looking for a band, but Parker calls him a "little Peter Frampton.'' "This kid is amazing, I use him with my band every chance I get, he said. The only hard thing is playing in Clubs with him because of his age. "Blues come easy to me", said the 16-year-old Hart High junior. "I heard John and Jeff Jensen (another local Blues Society member band) playing together and I was just in awe. I'm not much on the new music scene, but I'd love playing the blues". Pucher and Parker are teaming to present a program started by the national Blues Foundation called "Blues in the Schools.'' They're looking for musicians to volunteer to help promote the program, which will send teachers and mentors into the schools to help music departments. "We will teach the history of the blues, familiarize the students with famous blues musicians, different styles of blues and how to write, sing and perform the blues", Parker said. Anyone interested in sponsoring the Blues in the Schools program is asked to call (661) 296-4618 or send an e-mail to bits(at)scvblues.org. President, John Parker on left; Chris Pucher on right at the Redondo Beach Pier Summer Concert Series For information on the SCV Blues Society, log on to their Web site at www.scvblues.org.
John Parker's Songs Hit Broadjam's Top 10 Charts	Posted: Feb 13, 2007
Broadjam News - Feb. 13th 2007 John Parker's songs from his latest cd "Off The Clock" are doing very well on the Broadjam Top Ten Charts....Two of his songs have repeatedly hit the World Top 10 Blues Rock Charts. "When I Reach My Destination" is currently rated No.1 Blues Gospel song in California and No.6 Blues Gospel song in the World Charts. "The Only Thing" is still hanging in the top charts after hitting the World Top 10 Blues Rock charts on several occasions. It is currently rated No.6 in California's Blues Rock Charts. "City Nights" is No.7 in California Classic Rock Charts and No.14 in California Blues Rock Charts. "Walkin' Out On You" is No.15 in California's Blues Rock Charts. "Things Are Gonna Be Different" is No.16 in California's Blues Rock Charts.
Parker Spills Guts at Redondo Pier Show - Easy Reader article on John	Posted: Dec 15, 2006
The Easy Reader, 7/05, Barbara Ramsey-Duke John Parker spills guts, (not quite) literally at pier show! Dec 12, 2006 Lead guitarist and vocalist John Parker laid claim to the title of the hardest working man in rock n roll last Saturday night when he and his band opened the Redondo Pier concert season with a two hour show. Just three weeks earlier, Parker underwent a liver transplant. A set of metal clamps were keeping his guts from spilling out, literally, while, more figuratively, he belted out his bluesy "Walking Out On You". Parker's songs, including three he wrote in the hospital, have a bluesy Buffet sound, but a distinctly harder edge. Parker will share his story and his music at the American Cancer Society's "Relay for Life" at Burbank's Robert E. Gross Park later this month. He also plans to walk in the Redondo Beach Relay For Life Survivors Lap at Aviation Park on July 27th. John Parker returns to the Redondo Pier for a second time during the Summer Concert Series at 6 p.m. on Saturday, August, 27th.