Blues singer and harmonica player Herman (possibly Herbert) Parker - born March 27, 1932, in Bobo, Mississippi - is better known by his stage names Little Junior Parker and Junior Parker. Regarded as one of the finest blues singers of the 1950s and 1960s, his ‘velvet-smooth’ vocals and harmonica graced many classic blues records, although there was a period when his recordings moved away from down-home blues and embraced a blues-soul direction. During his heyday, he was one of blues’ biggest stars alongside B. B. King, Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland and Little Milton. In his early years, he moved to West Memphis, Tennessee and performed alongside Howlin’ Wolfe, Sonny Boy Williamson, Bobby Bland, Johnny Ace, and many others. In the early 1950s, he performed with the Beale Streeters, a coalition of performers including Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland and B. B. King. His first solo hit, “Feelin’ Good,” was released on Sun Records in 1953. Further hits included “In the Dark,” “Sweet Home Chicago,” “Driving Wheel,” and “Next Time You See Me.” Little Junior Parker was an influence on artists including Elvis Presley, who recorded a version of his “Mystery Train.” Little Junior Parker continued to tour and release hits throughout the rest of the ‘50s and ‘60s. His albums included Blues Consolidated (1958), Driving Wheel (1962), Honey-Drippin’ Blues (1969) and Little Jr. Parker: Blues Man (1969). His final hit was 1971’s “Drowning on Dry Land,” which was released on the Capitol Records label. Little Junior Parker died on November 18, 1971 of a brain tumor. He was 39.
