Johnny Parker (jazz pianist)
Encyclopedia
Johnny Parker was a British
jazz
pianist
.
, Kent
. In 1940, his family moved to Wiltshire
where Parker was exposed to American Forces Network
broadcasts, and first heard boogie-woogie
piano at a US Air Force base. Parker returned to Beckenham after the Second World War and worked a paper round to be able to buy records by pianists such as Pete Johnson
and Albert Ammons
.
to watch George Webb
's Dixielanders perform. Around this time, he joined the Catford Rhythm Club and played at regular sessions. He became the resident
pianist, performing at the club until 1948 when he was called up for National Service
. He served with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
as an ammunitions examiner, while accompanying jazz musicians such as Beryl Bryden
and Mike Daniels
.
After his period in the armed forces, Parker enrolled at Regent Street Polytechnic, and – from 1950 to 1951 – played in Mick Mulligan
's band. Later in 1951 he joined the band of Humphrey Lyttleton and was the pianist on the trumpeter's 1956 hit record "Bad Penny Blues
". Parker's piano riff has been cited as similar to (and a possible influence on) Paul McCartney
's piano playing on "Lady Madonna
". He stayed with Lyttleton for six years, performing with Sidney Bechet
and supporting Louis Armstrong
and Eddie Condon
.
After a failed attempt to start his own band, Parker took a position inspecting components at an aircraft assembly plant. He continued playing in jazz bands alongside artists such as Alexis Korner
, Diz Disley
, Cyril Davies
, and Long John Baldry
. He worked on-and-off in inspection until early 1969, when he joined Kenny Ball
's Jazzmen. Parker underwent a spinal operation in December that year, but recovered within months and returned to regular touring.
He performed with Ball until 1978. Subsequently, Parker led his own jazz groups around London and toured the Middle East. Parker retired in 2005, citing long-term health problems. He died on 11 June 2010.
n singer Peggy Phango. Phango, who was the first cousin of Miriam Makeba
, died in 1998.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
.
Early life
Parker was born in BeckenhamBeckenham
Beckenham is a town in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is located 8.4 miles south east of Charing Cross and 1.75 miles west of Bromley town...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. In 1940, his family moved to Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
where Parker was exposed to American Forces Network
American Forces Network
The American Forces Network is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces American Forces Radio and Television Service for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide...
broadcasts, and first heard boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie has the following meanings:*Boogie-woogie, a piano-based music style*Boogie-woogie , a swing dance or a dance that imitates the rock-n-roll dance of the 1950s*"Boogie Woogie" , a song by EuroGroove and Dannii Minogue...
piano at a US Air Force base. Parker returned to Beckenham after the Second World War and worked a paper round to be able to buy records by pianists such as Pete Johnson
Pete Johnson
Pete Johnson was an American boogie-woogie and jazz pianist.Journalist Tony Russell stated in his book The Blues - From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray, that "Johnson shared with the other members of the 'Boogie Woogie Trio' the technical virtuosity and melodic fertility that can make this the most...
and Albert Ammons
Albert Ammons
Albert Ammons was an American pianist. Ammons was a player of boogie-woogie, a bluesy jazz style popular from the late 1930s into the mid 1940s.-Life and career:...
.
Career
While in Beckenham, Parker regularly cycled the 10 miles (16.1 km) BexleyheathBexleyheath
Bexleyheath is a main suburban district of Southeast London, England, in the London Borough of Bexley with a small percentage of the district itself being in the London Borough of Greenwich. Bexleyheath is located on the border of Inner London and Outer London. It is east south-east of Charing Cross...
to watch George Webb
George Webb (musician)
George Webb was a British pianist considered by many as the father of the traditional jazz movement in Britain....
's Dixielanders perform. Around this time, he joined the Catford Rhythm Club and played at regular sessions. He became the resident
Artist in residence
Artist-in-residence programs and other residency opportunities allow visiting artists to stay and work so that they may apply singular focus to their art practice....
pianist, performing at the club until 1948 when he was called up for National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
. He served with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
The Royal Army Ordnance Corps was a corps of the British Army. It dealt only with the supply and maintenance of weaponry, munitions and other military equipment until 1965, when it took over most other supply functions, as well as the provision of staff clerks, from the Royal Army Service...
as an ammunitions examiner, while accompanying jazz musicians such as Beryl Bryden
Beryl Bryden
Beryl Audley Bryden was an English jazz singer, who played with Chris Barber and Lonnie Donegan. Ella Fitzgerald once said of Bryden that she was "Britain's queen of the blues".-Life and career:...
and Mike Daniels
Mike Daniels
Mike Daniels is a British dixieland revivalist jazz trumpeter and bandleader born in Stanmore, Middlesex, UK, probably best known for his work with his own group The Delta Jazzmen. Some of his other bands have featured talents such as Keith Nichols and John Chilton.-References:...
.
After his period in the armed forces, Parker enrolled at Regent Street Polytechnic, and – from 1950 to 1951 – played in Mick Mulligan
Mick Mulligan
Peter Sidney "Mick" Mulligan was an English jazz trumpeter and bandleader, best known for his presence on the trad jazz scene....
's band. Later in 1951 he joined the band of Humphrey Lyttleton and was the pianist on the trumpeter's 1956 hit record "Bad Penny Blues
Bad Penny Blues
"Bad Penny Blues" is a trad jazz piece written by Humphrey Lyttelton and recorded with his band in London on April 20, 1956.- Popular success :It was originally released as Parlophone ER 4184 and became a hit record in Britain at the time....
". Parker's piano riff has been cited as similar to (and a possible influence on) Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
's piano playing on "Lady Madonna
Lady Madonna
"Lady Madonna" is a song by The Beatles, primarily written by Paul McCartney . In March 1968, it was released as a single, backed with "The Inner Light." The song was recorded on 3 and 6 February 1968 before the Beatles left for India...
". He stayed with Lyttleton for six years, performing with Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.He was one of the first important soloists in jazz , and was perhaps the first notable jazz saxophonist...
and supporting Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
and Eddie Condon
Eddie Condon
Albert Edwin Condon , better known as Eddie Condon, was a jazz banjoist, guitarist, and bandleader. A leading figure in the so-called "Chicago school" of early Dixieland, he also played piano and sang on occasion....
.
After a failed attempt to start his own band, Parker took a position inspecting components at an aircraft assembly plant. He continued playing in jazz bands alongside artists such as Alexis Korner
Alexis Korner
Alexis Korner was a blues musician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as "a Founding Father of British Blues"...
, Diz Disley
Diz Disley
Diz Disley was an Anglo-Canadian jazz guitarist and graphic designer. He is best known for his jazz guitar playing, strongly influenced by Django Reinhardt, and for his collaborations with the violinist Stéphane Grappelli....
, Cyril Davies
Cyril Davies
Cyril Davies was one of the first British blues harmonica players and blues musician.-Biography:Born at St Mildred's, 15 Hawthorn Drive, Willowbank, Denham, Buckinghamshire, near London, he was the son of William Albert Davies, a labourer, and his wife Margaret Mary...
, and Long John Baldry
Long John Baldry
John William "Long John" Baldry was an English and Canadian blues singer and a voice actor. He sang with many British musicians, with Rod Stewart and Elton John appearing in bands led by Baldry in the 1960s. He enjoyed pop success in the UK where Let the Heartaches Begin reached No...
. He worked on-and-off in inspection until early 1969, when he joined Kenny Ball
Kenny Ball
Kenny Ball is an English jazz musician, best known as the lead trumpet player in Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen.-Career:...
's Jazzmen. Parker underwent a spinal operation in December that year, but recovered within months and returned to regular touring.
He performed with Ball until 1978. Subsequently, Parker led his own jazz groups around London and toured the Middle East. Parker retired in 2005, citing long-term health problems. He died on 11 June 2010.
Personal life
Parker was married twice. He has four children – two (Rebecca and Robert) from his marriage to Maureen Wallis, and two (Abigail and Beverly) from his marriage to South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n singer Peggy Phango. Phango, who was the first cousin of Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba , nicknamed Mama Africa, was a Grammy Award winning South African singer and civil rights activist....
, died in 1998.