Graham Parker
One of the most significant singer-songwriters of the past 45 years, English-born Graham Parker emerged out of the pub rock scene. Debuting just before punk broke with a pair of brilliant albums, Howlin’ Wind and Heat Treatment, Parker’s songwriting was no less biting and passionate but significantly more soulful and lyrical. Initially drawing inspiration from Van Morrison and the Rolling Stones along with Otis Redding, Parker and his backing band the Rumour were immediate critics favorites and earned a devoted cult following. Parker split from the Rumour in the early ’80s, moved to America, and further expanded his sound and lyrical perspective across a series of solo albums. Although never achieving the mainstream popularity of the superficially similar Elvis Costello, Parker’s consistency across the decades and the sheer number of wonderful songs and albums in his catalog is staggering.
Did you know?
- Acclaimed as one of the defining “Angry Young Man” singer-songwriters, Graham Parker debuted before Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson, as well as the punk movement
- Judd Apatow’s 2012 movie This Is 40, starring Paul Rudd, features Graham Parker, playing himself, in a significant subplot
- Parker has written a science fiction novella, The Great Trouser Mystery(1980), a set of short stories, Carp Fishing on Valium (2000), and the novel The Other Life of Brian (2003)