Johnny Parker obituary

Blues and boogie pianist who played with all of the greatsIf for nothing else, the pianist Johnny Parker, who has died aged 80, will be remembered for his rollicking introductory sequence on Humphrey Lyttelton's hit 1956 single Bad Penny Blues. Of course, there was more to Parker than a single moment of inspiration. He was a fine exponent of the rumbustious blues piano style pioneered by African-American musicians in Chicago before the second world war.Over his lengthy career, Parker played with...

Read full article Share article