Robert Parker (singer)
Robert Parker (born October 14, 1930, New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American R&B singer and musician, best known for his 1966 hit, "Barefootin'".
Parker started his career as a saxophonist, playing with Professor Longhair on his hit "Mardi Gras In New Orleans" in 1949. Over the next decade, he played with most of New Orleans' musicians, including Fats Domino, Irma Thomas, and Huey "Piano" Smith. By 1958, he had started recording solo, having a local hit with the instrumental "All Night Long". In 1965 he signed for Nola Records, and had his biggest hit with "Barefootin’". 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.
In April 2007, in recognition of his contributions to Louisiana and national music, Parker was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
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.
[edit] Barefootin'
Robert Parker's greatest hit, Barefootin' was arranged and produced by Wardell Quezergue in 1965. The song reached #2 on the U.S. R&B chart and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Parker's record label claimed the record sold over one million copies.[1] The track also reached #24 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1966.[2]
The song has since been covered by numerous other artists including Pete Townshend (1986),[3] Alabama (1989), Johnny Winter (1991) and Rufus Thomas (1992).[4] The song appeared on Wilson Pickett's 1966 album The Exciting Wilson Pickett. Also in 1966 Alan Price included the song in a medley on his The Price to Play album. A live version appears as a B-side recording on the Boomtown Rats' single Lookin' After No. 1.
[edit] References
- ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 210. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 417. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Pete Townshend version live
- ^ A list of 18 versions of the song
