Winfield Parker

Winfield Parker (21 June 1942 – 18 January 2021; Baltimore, Maryland) was an acclaimed soul, R&B, and gospel vocalist whose distinguished career spanned six decades.

Specialising as a singer, saxophonist, and songwriter, Parker initially established his musical reputation on the regional circuit before achieving wider national recognition. Over the course of his extensive career, he shared the stage and appeared alongside some of the greatest icons in American music, including The Temptations, James Brown, Etta James, Little Richard, Lloyd Price, Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles, the Four Tops, and Carla Thomas. His distinctive, powerful voice allowed him to seamlessly bridge the worlds of hard-driving secular rhythm and blues and emotive spiritual music, carving out a revered niche in the landscape of American soul.

Early Life

Born in Baltimore, Parker was raised in Cooksville, a small town within Howard County, Maryland. He received his early formal education in Simpsonville at Harriet Tubman High School. During his adolescence, he initially dabbled with the guitar and participated in a local doo-wop group called the Tall Cedars. However, his musical focus shifted dramatically at the age of 14 when a cousin introduced him to the saxophone, leading him to join the high school band. Alongside his cousins, Parker subsequently co-founded a teenage group called The Veejays, playing tenor saxophone until he left high school during his junior year. His foundational training expanded rapidly when he joined singer Sammy Fitzhugh and the Moroccans, contributing saxophone to Fitzhugh's 1960 Atco single. Soon after, he secured a position touring with rock and roll pioneer Little Richard and his backing band, the Upsetters, which provided a demanding yet vital introduction to the professional touring circuit.

Career

Upon returning to Maryland, Parker formed his own band, the Imperial Thrillers, and was discovered by regional promoter Rufus E. Mitchell, who signed him to the Baltimore-based Ru-Jac label as a solo singer. Initially billed as Little Winfield Parker, he debuted in 1964 with “My Love for You”, which was followed by a string of raw, horn-infused singles, including “Go Away Playgirl” and “Mr. Clean”. His career gathered significant momentum when top Philadelphia radio disc jockey Jimmy Bishop became his manager, producing his 1969 Arctic Records single “Shake That Thing”. Bishop subsequently secured master placement deals for Parker with Wand Records and eventually Spring Records. It was at Spring Records in 1971 that Parker achieved his definitive commercial milestone with “S.O.S. (Stop Her On Sight)”, a driving remake of the Edwin Starr classic that successfully charted on the Billboard R&B charts. He followed this success with the hard-hitting 1972 single “Starvin'” and a brief stint at GSF Records before forming the funk and soul outfit Best of Both Worlds, releasing a self-titled album on Calla Records in 1975.

Personal Life

Parker grew up in a household that included three brothers and two sisters, and his early musical development was profoundly impacted by the premature passing of his mother. Outside of his civilian musical pursuits, Parker served his country by joining the United States Army in 1979, completing basic training in South Carolina and clerical studies in New Jersey before being deployed to Wiesbaden, Germany. In 1985, seeking a major personal and professional redirection, Parker dedicated his talents entirely to the church, wholeheartedly embracing gospel music and becoming an ordained minister. Over the subsequent decades, he released multiple spiritual albums for the BP logo and recorded the 2003 gospel project Sending Up My Timber with his vocal group, Praise, for Guyden Records.

Winfield Parker died on 18 January 2021 at the Gilchrist Center in Columbia, Maryland, due to complications associated with COVID-19.