Robert Parker (singer)

Robert Parker (October 14, 1930 – January 19, 2020) was an American R&B singer and musician, best known for his 1966 hit, "Barefootin'".

Robert Parker
Birth nameRobert Parker, Jr.
Born(1930-10-14)October 14, 1930
Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
OriginNew Orleans, Louisiana, U.S
DiedJanuary 19, 2020(2020-01-19) (aged 89)
Roseland, Louisiana, U. S.
GenresR&B
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
InstrumentsVocals, saxophone
Years active1949–2009
LabelsRon, Imperial, Nola, Island[1]
Associated actsProfessor Longhair

Life and career

Robert Parker, Jr. was born in Mobile, Alabama to Robert and Leana Parker.[2] He grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana,[3] and started his career as a saxophonist, playing with Professor Longhair on his hit "Mardi Gras In New Orleans" in 1949.[3] Over the next decade, he played with most of New Orleans' musicians, including Fats Domino, Irma Thomas, and Huey "Piano" Smith.[3]

By 1958, he had started recording solo, having a local hit with the instrumental "All Nite Long" a year later.[3] In 1965 he signed for Nola Records, and had his biggest hit with "Barefootin’", which he had written. It sold over one million copies, made the pop charts in Britain and elsewhere, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.[4] In 1967, he had another minor R&B hit with "Tip Toe" (no.48, R&B chart).[5] Although he continued to record, he failed to repeat his success in terms of sales, and his recording career effectively ended in the 1970s. However, he continued to perform and tour for many more years, remaining especially popular in the UK.[3]

In April 2007, in recognition of his contributions to Louisiana and national music, Parker was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.[6] On July 19, 2009, he performed "Barefootin'" and "Where the Action Is" in a 'Tribute to Wardell Quezergue,' a concert at Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center in New York.

Parker died on January 19, 2020, at his home in Roseland, Louisiana, at the age of 89 of natural causes.[2][7]

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums
  • Get Ta Speppin' (1987)
  • Barefootin' Plus 13 More Golden Classics (1987)
  • The Wardell Quezerque Sessions (2002)
  • An Introduction to Robert Parker (2006)

Singles
Year Single Chart Positions
UK US Hot 100 & Bubbling Under US R&B/Hip-Hop
1958 "June Teen"

b/w "Lawdy Miss Clawdy"

 — — —
1959 "All Nite Long (Part 1)"

b/w "All Nite Long (Part 2)"

 — 113 —
1960 "Walkin'"

b/w "Across the Track"

 — — —
1962 "Mash Potatoes All Night Long"

b/w "Twistin' Out in Space"

 — — —
"You're Looking Good"

b/w "Little Things Mean a Lot"

 — — —
1963 "Please Forgive Me"

b/w "You Got It"

 — — —
"The Laughing Monkey"

b/w "Let's Do the Thing"

(Released as 'Robert Parker & Band')

 — — —
1966 "Barefootin'"

b/w "Let's Go Baby (Where the Action Is)"

 24 7 2
"The Scratch"

b/w "Happy Feet"

 — 124 —
"Tip Toe"

b/w "Soul Kind of Loving"

 — 83 48
"A Letter to Santa"

b/w "C. C. Rider"

 — — —
1967 "Yak Yak Yak"

b/w "Secret Service (Makes Me Nervous)"

 — — —
"Everybody's Hip-Hugging"

b/w "Foxy Mama"

 — — —
"I Caught You in a Lie"

b/w "Holdin' Out"

 — — —
1968 "Soul Sister"

b/w "Barefootin' Boogaloo"

 — — —
"Bow Legs"

b/w "Boss Lovin'"

 — — —
"Funky Soul Train"

b/w "Robert & W.Q's Train"

 — — —
1969 "You Shakin' Things Up"

b/w "You See Me"

 — — —
1970 "The Hiccup"

b/w "Rockin' Pneumonia"

 — — —
"You See Me"

b/w "You Shakin' Things Up"

(Re-release with sides reversed)

 — — —
1972 "Barefootin'"

b/w "Shootin' the Grease" (by Jesse Gresham Plus 3)

 — — —
1974 "Get Ta Steppin'"

b/w "Get Right on Down"

 — — —
"Barefootin'"

b/w "I Caught You in a Lie"

(UK-only release)

 — — —
1975 "Give Me the Country Side of Life"

b/w "It's Hard But It's Fair"

 — — —
1976 "A Little Bit of Something (Is Better Than a Whole Lot of Nothing"

b/w "Better Luck in the Summer"

 — — —
1987 "Barefootin'"

b/w "Let's Go Baby (Where the Action Is)"

(Re-release)

 90 — —
gollark: IT'S A GOOD PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
gollark: Also, all hail parser combinators.
gollark: Also, you seem to mostly be defining global variables.
gollark: No.
gollark: What hello world program?

References
  1. Robert Parker, Soulful Kinda Music. Retrieved 23 January 2020
  2. "Robert Parker Jr October 14, 1930 - January 19, 2020". richardsonfuneralhomeamite.com. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  3. Bruce Eder (1930-10-14). "Robert Parker | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  4. Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 210. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  5. Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995. Record Research. p. 340. ISBN 0-89820-115-2.
  6. "ROBERT PARKER - 2007". Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  7. "Barefootin' singer Robert Parker passes away". WVUE-DT. 2020-01-19. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  8. "Robert Parker". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.