Kenny Parchman
Kenneth W. "Kenny" Parchman (born January 15, 1932 near Jackson , Tennessee , † June 2, 1999 in Madison , Tennessee) was an American rockabilly musician . Parchman was one of the many artists that emerged from the legendary Sun Records .
Life
Childhood and youth
Kenny Parchman was born near Jackson in Madison County in 1932 . From an early age he regularly listened to music on the radio and it wasn't long before his parents gave him a guitar . But shortly before Christmas 1944 the family house burned down; Parchman's father suffered such serious injuries that he died shortly afterwards. The Parchmans got help from friends and neighbors so they could build a new house for young Kenny to spend the rest of his childhood in. At school he formed his first band, with whom he performed at barn dances and other events. Shortly thereafter, Parchman was drafted into the US Army .
Career
After his discharge from the Army in 1955, Parchman worked for Wells Fargo Forwarding Company. In the evenings he played in bars and clubs to earn some extra money. At this time he met the only fifteen-year-old pianist Jerry Lee Smith, whom he then accepted into his band, which also included Parchman's brother Ronnie as a drummer . Together they made some demo recordings at Sun Records in Memphis . Pianist Smith knew Carl Perkins , who was under contract with Sun, from before and had played with him. When Perkins had his big hit with Blue Suede Shoes , however, Smith had to stay home due to his age and was unable to take the tour. Parchman's band contacted Sun's owner, Sam Phillips , through Perkins , who signed Parchman and his band.
In 1956 Parchman recorded Love Crazy Baby and I Feel Like Rockin ' , which would become his first single, but at the last moment Phillips stopped the release. Nobody knows why this happened. Parchman later suspected that Phillips did not release the record because Parchman no longer had a manager. Over the next two years, Parchman and his band recorded numerous tracks, none of which were released. In 1957, Parchman received an inquiry from the owner of the newly formed Jaxon label in Jackson, Tennessee. Parchman took the opportunity and Jaxon released his songs Treat Me Right and Don't You Know . In the latter, Parchman sang with his brother Ronnie. A year later, a second single followed on Lu Records. In 1958 and 1959 he returned to Sun Studios to record some songs. One of his last recorded tracks was Ray Harris ' Love Dump Baby .
In the following years Parchman withdrew more and more from the music business. Until 1975 he performed in Jackson in the famous Pineridge Club. His last appearance there was taped and some of these tracks were later released. In the meantime he had built up a construction business with his second wife Lorene, which he managed successfully. In 1997, Parchman became seriously ill and eventually died in his home in Madison, Tennessee in 1999. In 2005 in Germany a CD titled I Feel Like ... Rockin ' edited with his shots.
Discography
| year | title | Record company |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Treat Me Right / Don't You Know | Jaxon Records |
| 1958 | Get It Off Your Mind / Satellite Hop [!] | Lu Records |
|
Sun Records (not released) | |
|
Sun Records (not released) |
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Parchman, Kenny |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Parchman, Kenneth W. (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American rockabilly musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 15, 1932 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | near Jackson (Tennessee) , USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 2, 1999 |
| Place of death | Madison, Tennessee , USA |