Junior Parker (Born Herman Parker)
May 27, 1932 – November 18, 1971
Junior Parker was a Memphis blues and R&B singer and musician who became successful thanks to a voice that has been described as “velvet smooth.” He began playing the local blues circuit while still in his teens, and by the early ’50s, he had already performed alongside Sonny Boy Williamson, B.B. King, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and Howlin’ Wolf. In 1951, Parker formed the Blue Flames who cut their first record with the help of Ike Turner. The record lead to a deal with Sam Phillips‘ Sun Records where he released a string of hits including the top 5 R&B hit, “Feelin’ Good,” and “Mystery Train,” which was later made into a hit by Elvis Presley. Parker continued to make records well into the ’60s, but none achieved the success of his earlier recordings. Junior Parker was 39 when he died during surgery for a brain tumor.
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