RJ
Ray Parker, Jr.
Actor, Producer, Additional Credits
Born May 1, 1954 (70 years)
Ray Erskine Parker Jr. (born May 1, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. As a solo performer, he wrote and performed the theme song to the 1984 film Ghostbusters. Previously, Parker achieved a US top-10 hit in 1982 with "The Other Woman". He also performed with his band, Raydio, and with Barry White.
Ray Erskine Parker Jr. was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Venolia Parker and Ray Parker Sr. He has two siblings: his brother Opelton and his sister Barbara. Parker attended Angel Elementary School where his music teacher, Afred T Kirby, inspired him to be a musician at age six playing the clarinet. Parker attended Cass Technical High School in the 10th grade.
Parker is a 1971 graduate of Detroit's Northwestern High School. He was raised in the Dexter-Grand Boulevard neighborhood on its West Side. Parker attended college at Lawrence Institute of Technology.
Parker gained recognition during the late 1960s as a member of Bohannon's house band at the 20 Grand nightclub. This Detroit hotspot often featured Tamla/Motown acts, one of which, the (Detroit) Spinners, was so impressed by the young guitarist's skills that they added him to their touring group. Through the Bohannon relationship, he recorded and co-wrote his first songs at age 16 with Marvin Gaye. Parker was also employed as a studio musician as a teenager for the emergent Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus/Hot Wax stable, and his "choppy" style was especially prominent on "Want Ads", a number one single for Honey Cone. Parker was later enlisted by Lamont Dozier to appear on his first two albums for ABC Records.
In 1972, Parker was a guest guitarist on Stevie Wonder's funk song "Maybe Your Baby", from Wonder's album Talking Book, an association which prompted a permanent move to Los Angeles. He also was the lead guitarist for Wonder when Wonder served as the opening act on the Rolling Stones' 1972 tour. In 1973, he became a sideman in Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra. Parker appeared briefly in the 1974 film Uptown Saturday Night as a guitar player in the church picnic scene.
Parker also wrote songs and did session work for the Carpenters, Bill Cosby, Rufus and Chaka Khan, the Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Deniece Williams, Bill Withers, Michael Henderson, Jean-Luc Ponty, Leon Haywood, the Temptations, Boz Scaggs, David Foster, Rhythm Heritage, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Herbie Hancock, Tina Turner, and Diana Ross.
Parker's first bona fide hit as a writer was "You Got the Love", co-written with Chaka Khan and recorded by Rufus. The single hit No. 1 on the R&B charts and No. 11 on the pop charts in December 1974. In 1976, he featured as rhythm guitarist on Lucio Battisti's album Io tu noi tutti, translated as "Me you and all of us". Parker has stated that he was the original songwriter of Leo Sayer's 1976 hit "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing", but that when he submitted the tune as a demo, his accreditation as such was missed. ...
Source: Article "Ray Parker Jr." from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Ray Erskine Parker Jr. was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Venolia Parker and Ray Parker Sr. He has two siblings: his brother Opelton and his sister Barbara. Parker attended Angel Elementary School where his music teacher, Afred T Kirby, inspired him to be a musician at age six playing the clarinet. Parker attended Cass Technical High School in the 10th grade.
Parker is a 1971 graduate of Detroit's Northwestern High School. He was raised in the Dexter-Grand Boulevard neighborhood on its West Side. Parker attended college at Lawrence Institute of Technology.
Parker gained recognition during the late 1960s as a member of Bohannon's house band at the 20 Grand nightclub. This Detroit hotspot often featured Tamla/Motown acts, one of which, the (Detroit) Spinners, was so impressed by the young guitarist's skills that they added him to their touring group. Through the Bohannon relationship, he recorded and co-wrote his first songs at age 16 with Marvin Gaye. Parker was also employed as a studio musician as a teenager for the emergent Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus/Hot Wax stable, and his "choppy" style was especially prominent on "Want Ads", a number one single for Honey Cone. Parker was later enlisted by Lamont Dozier to appear on his first two albums for ABC Records.
In 1972, Parker was a guest guitarist on Stevie Wonder's funk song "Maybe Your Baby", from Wonder's album Talking Book, an association which prompted a permanent move to Los Angeles. He also was the lead guitarist for Wonder when Wonder served as the opening act on the Rolling Stones' 1972 tour. In 1973, he became a sideman in Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra. Parker appeared briefly in the 1974 film Uptown Saturday Night as a guitar player in the church picnic scene.
Parker also wrote songs and did session work for the Carpenters, Bill Cosby, Rufus and Chaka Khan, the Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Deniece Williams, Bill Withers, Michael Henderson, Jean-Luc Ponty, Leon Haywood, the Temptations, Boz Scaggs, David Foster, Rhythm Heritage, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Herbie Hancock, Tina Turner, and Diana Ross.
Parker's first bona fide hit as a writer was "You Got the Love", co-written with Chaka Khan and recorded by Rufus. The single hit No. 1 on the R&B charts and No. 11 on the pop charts in December 1974. In 1976, he featured as rhythm guitarist on Lucio Battisti's album Io tu noi tutti, translated as "Me you and all of us". Parker has stated that he was the original songwriter of Leo Sayer's 1976 hit "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing", but that when he submitted the tune as a demo, his accreditation as such was missed. ...
Source: Article "Ray Parker Jr." from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Filmography
| 2020 | Reunited Apart (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2019 | The Movies That Made Us (TV Series) · as Self - Songwriter |
| 2019 | |
| 2017 | Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives · as Self |
| 2017 | Beauty and the Baller (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2016 | |
| 2016 | Ghostheads · as Self |
| 2015 | Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris (TV Series) · as Self - Guest, Singalong Live |
| 2015 | Lip Sync Battle (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2014 | A to Z (TV Series) · as Himself |
| 2014 | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (TV Series) · as Self - Guest Musician |
| 2013 | The Real Daytime (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2012 | Celebrity Wife Swap (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2010 | The Talk (TV Series) · as Self - Musical Guest |
| 2009 | The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards · as Self - Performer |
| 2008 | Unsung (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2007 | |
| 2005 | The 100 Greatest Family Films · as Self |
| 2002 | I Love The 80s (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2002 | American Bandstand's 50th Anniversary Celebration · as Self - Performer |
| 1999 | Loose Women (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1999 | Where Are They Now? (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1992 | Granada Reports (TV Series) · as Self - Singer |
| 1990 | 1990 MTV Video Music Awards · as Self |
| 1988 | Inside Edition (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1987 | Showtime at the Apollo (TV Series) · as Self - Guest Host |
| 1987 | 21 Jump Street (TV Series) · as Himself |
| 1985 | The 57th Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Nominee & Performer |
| 1984 | Pryor's Place (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1984 | MTV Video Music Awards (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1984 | 1st Annual MTV Video Music Awards · as Self |
| 1982 | Wogan (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1982 | Na sowas! (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1982 | Champs-Elysees (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1981 | American Bandstand's 30th Anniversary Special · as Self - Musician |
| 1980 | No Nukes · as Self |
| 1980 | Solid Gold (TV Series) · as Self - Co-Host |
| 1972 | The Midnight Special (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1971 | Soul Train (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1968 | |
| 1964 | Top of the Pops (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1952 | American Bandstand (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1952 | Today (TV Series) · as Self - Musical Guest |