Christian Parker

Christian Parker
Born	(1968-07-09) July 9, 1968 Ogdensburg, New York
Nationality	American
Citizenship	United States
Occupation	Musician Record Artist Songwriter Guitarist
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Spouse(s)	Jennifer Parker
Children	5
Parents	Arlie Parker (father) Nan Parker (mother)
Website	christianparker.com

Christian Parker (born July 9, 1968, in Ogdensburg, New York) is an American musician, songwriter, recording artist, and guitarist based in Canton, New York. His music explores themes of life's challenges, victories, and interpersonal dynamics, including hope, love, loss, and faith. Over the course of his career, Parker has developed a body of work rooted in country, Americana, and folk rock, with particular emphasis on the tradition known as Cosmic American Music, a term associated with the late 1960s country-rock movement.

Notable works include albums such as Sweethearts: A Tribute To The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo, Wonderland, Best Kept Secret, Through the Darkness, and Every Passing Mile, along with singles including Forever Man, Spirit of the Trees, and Girl From the North Country. His later work has increasingly centered on the American Cosmic Revival series, a project focused on revisiting and reinterpreting classic country-rock sounds.

He has collaborated with artists and producers including Earl Poole Ball, JayDee Maness, Patrick Cleary, Marty Wendell, Gary Jacob, Michael Rinne, Stevie Blacke, Phil Hurley, Louie Hurwitz, Peter Pendras, and Ron Keck. Parker's contributions have received coverage in publications and radio broadcasts across North America.

In 2023, Parker received a nomination for Best Americana at the Syracuse Area Music Awards (SAMMY Awards) for Every Passing Mile, his debut comeback album of original songs. In 2024, Parker won the Best Country award at the SAMMY Awards for Sweethearts: A Tribute To The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo featuring Earl Poole Ball. In 2026, Parker received a nomination for Best Country for American Cosmic Revival, Vol. 1: Back At Home featuring Earl Poole Ball, Patrick Cleary and JayDee Maness at the SAMMY Awards. His music is released through SubCat Records LLC and distributed globally via Edgewater Music Group in partnership with The Orchard, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, and is available on major streaming platforms including Apple Music, YouTube, Spotify, and SoundCloud.

Early life and education

Parker was born in Ogdensburg, New York, and raised in Canton, New York, near the Canadian border, to Arlie and Nan Parker. He developed an early interest in music and began playing guitar during his youth. At age 12, the day after the death of John Lennon, he took his first guitar lesson and learned to play "Rocky Raccoon" on the same day.

His early musical influences included artists associated with 1960s and 1970s folk-rock and country-rock, particularly Gram Parsons, Gene Clark, and The Byrds. In his early teens, Parker was introduced to the music of Bob Dylan, which gave him the songwriting bug and directly informed his approach to narrative-driven lyricism. These influences later shaped his songwriting style and artistic direction.

Career

Parker began his professional career at age 17 with the release of his debut album, Reflections of Tomorrow (May 8, 1986), followed by Of Loves Sweet Rhyme (1987). Both recordings are currently out of print. In 1993, Parker released a self-titled album, Christian Parker (April 15, 1993), also currently out of print. During this period he collaborated with songwriter and musician Barb Heller, resulting in the release of Now & Then (January 1, 2007). In his early career, he established himself as a guitarist and performer, collaborating and co-writing songs with Peter Pendras, a staff writer for Bug Music in Nashville, Tennessee, who also worked with country artist Gail Davies and the RCA Records country band Wild Choir. Bug Music was later acquired by BMG in 2011. Parker also worked with producer Louie Hurwitz of Woodstock Records, who performed with The Band alongside Levon Helm.

Parker later became known for his role as lead guitarist for the Americana and blues-rock band Waydown Wailers, formed in 2011 with his brother David Parker on guitar and vocals, Michael Scriminger on drums, Joey Thomas on keyboards and vocals, and Connor Pelkey on bass. The band released four studio albums: State of the Union (2013), Empty Promises (2016), and Backland Blues (2018), all produced by Professor Louie (Aaron L. Hurwitz) on Woodstock Records, and Miles of Roads (2023) on SubCat Records, distributed by Edgewater Music Group in partnership with The Orchard, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. Empty Promises was placed on the Grammy nomination ballot for Best Americana Album, with the song "Jealousy" nominated for Best Americana Roots Song and their cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Susie Q" nominated for Best Americana Roots Performance — as reported by North Country Public Radio and NYS Music. The single "Whiskey and Cornbread" from Empty Promises charted at #17 on the IndieWorld Country Record Report on October 14, 2016. Backland Blues peaked at number 5 on the Blues Rock Album chart on June 23, 2018 and number 7 on the New York Blues chart on January 1, 2019. The band toured extensively across the northeastern United States and performed as a supporting act for artists including ZZ Top, Lady A, Charlie Daniels, Jarrod Niemann, Devon Allman, the Spin Doctors, and The New Riders of the Purple Sage.

In 2022, Parker returned to his solo career with the release of Every Passing Mile (January 21, 2022), issued through SubCat Records LLC and distributed by Edgewater Music Group in partnership with The Orchard, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. The album featured 13 tracks, primarily written by Parker, and addressed themes of travel, reflection, and the passage of time. The opening track, "Cast a Line," co-written with Peter Pendras, was developed during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The album also featured contributions from Phil Hurley, a founding member of Gigolo Aunts and lead guitarist for Tracy Bonham, Lisa Loeb, and Fountains of Wayne, who contributed backing vocals and electric guitar. Additional musicians included Andy Rudy on bass guitar, Ron Keck and Michael Scriminger on drums and percussion, Jennifer Kessler, a lecturer at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music, on violin and backing vocals, Gary Jacob on 12-string electric guitar, Danny Gotham, a Potsdam native and Parker's childhood guitar teacher, on mandolin and electric guitar, Christian Larcombe on B-bender electric guitar, Karl Doty on bass, Will Haigh on piano, and Ed Dean on backing vocals. Every Passing Mile was co-produced by Ron Keck and mastered by Larry Lachmann at Kevorkian Mastering in New York City.

Following this release, Parker expanded his discography with multiple studio albums. Through the Darkness was released on May 27, 2022, as a remix and remaster of his original 1990 recording, featuring updated production while preserving the original songwriting and performances. Best Kept Secret followed on July 1, 2022, a collection of 11 tracks written during a period of social and personal uncertainty. The album explores themes including loss, fear, spiritual renewal, and emotional recovery, with songs such as "Weight of the World," "Eternal Flames," "Diamond Sailor," "Heartache Is My Friend," and "Love's Final Amen." Musicians on the album included Phil Hurley on backing vocals and electric guitar, Will Haigh on piano and acoustic guitar, Ron Keck and Michael Scriminger on drums and percussion, Andy Rudy on bass guitar, David Parker on backing vocals, and Christian Larcombe on B-bender electric guitar. The album was produced by Ron Keck and Christian Parker, recorded at SubCat Studios, Syracuse, New York, and features pencil drawing artwork by Tracy Cox.

Wonderland was released on May 5, 2023, as a remix and remaster of his original 1991 recording, also featuring updated production while preserving the original songwriting and performances. His work during this period increasingly reflected his engagement with the legacy of artists such as Gram Parsons, Gene Clark, and The Byrds.

In February 2023, Parker released the standalone digital single Spirit of the Trees (February 17, 2023), featuring Randy Tennant on bass guitar. In June 2023, Parker released the standalone digital single Forever Man (June 16, 2023), an original composition featuring Phil Hurley on backing vocals, Michael Scriminger on drums, and Paul Davie on bass.

Parker's Sweethearts: A Tribute To The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo was released on August 18, 2023, with a folk radio release date of September 1, 2023. The album appeared on the Folk Alliance International (FAI) Folk Chart Top Albums of the Month for September 2023. The album was co-produced with Earl Poole Ball, whose participation in the original 1968 Sweetheart of the Rodeo recording made his involvement particularly significant. Recorded primarily at SubCat Studios in Syracuse, New York, with additional recording at HooDoo Studios in Austin, Texas, and Treehouse Recording in San Gabriel, California, the album was engineered by Ron Keck and Christian Parker and mastered by Larry Lachmann at Kevorkian Mastering in New York City. The album features 14 tracks — the original 11 songs from the 1968 Byrds album plus three additional songs: I Still Miss Someone, Satisfied Mind, and Drug Store Truck Driving Man. Additional musicians included JayDee Maness and Gary Jacob on pedal steel guitar, Tracer James on pedal steel guitar, Paul Davie on bass, Karl Doty on upright bass and Jennifer Kessler on violin and backing vocals. Phil Hurley on backing vocals. Glide Magazine praised the album as offering "tender, faithful renditions that capture the groundbreaking character of the original album, just as his own versions are distinctive." Earl Poole Ball noted: "Using the original recordings from the sixties as a blueprint, it was great to work with a talent like Christian, who has such a great voice and a love of this music."

In 2024, Parker released the standalone single Girl From the North Country (August 9, 2024), featuring Earl Poole Ball on piano and Marty Wendell on vocals.

Change Is Now: A Tribute to the Byrds was released on March 22, 2024, co-produced by Christian Parker and Gary Jacob. The album is a deep-dive tribute to The Byrds' entire catalog from 1964 to 1973, featuring 14 tracks with a focus on the 12-string guitar work of Roger McGuinn. Musicians included Gary Jacob on 12-string electric guitar and pedal steel guitar, Earl Poole Ball on piano, Todd Staudinger on backing vocals, Michael Rinne on bass and upright bass, Stevie Blacke on strings (Tracks 7, 8, 9), Chris Larcombe on B-bender guitar (Tracks 1, 4, 10, 11, 12), Ron Keck on percussion, Jennifer Kessler on violin and backing vocals (Tracks 8, 14), Paul Davie on bass guitar (Tracks 2, 5), Randy Tennant on bass guitar (Track 7), Andy Rudy on piano (Track 8), Nick Piccininni on mandolin (Track 14), and Joe Thomas on keyboards and vocals (Tracks 9, 12). The album was recorded at SubCat Studios, Syracuse, New York, engineered by Ron Keck and Christian Parker, and mastered by Larry Lachmann at Kevorkian Mastering.

Parker's more recent work has centered on the American Cosmic Revival series, a recording project dedicated to preserving and extending the sound of late-1960s country-rock. American Cosmic Revival, Vol. 1: Back At Home: A Tribute to the International Submarine Band was released on June 6, 2025, co-produced by Christian Parker and Patrick Cleary, and recorded at SubCat Studios, Syracuse, New York. The album was mixed by Sean McDonald at Red Medicine Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and mastered by Larry Lachmann at Kevorkian Mastering in New York City. The project features collaborations with Earl Poole Ball and JayDee Maness, both associated with the original Los Angeles country-rock scene, along with Patrick Cleary, Michael Rinne on electric and upright bass, and Ron Keck on drums and percussion. These collaborations provide a direct connection between Parker's recordings and the foundational era of the genre. During the recording, Earl Poole Ball told Parker: "You don't know how much this means to me that you and Patrick are doing this record. The title fills my heart." Glide Magazine noted that Parker's voice is "uncannily similar" to that of Gram Parsons, adding that "the vulnerability in both voices is what's so affecting."

His work has been featured and reviewed in publications including Goldmine, Guitar World, Glide Magazine, Americana Highways, All About Jazz, Americana UK, Wildfire Music + News, Racket Magazine, No Depression, Blues Blast Magazine, Blues Festival Guide, Jambands.com, NYSMusic.com, Country Lowdown, It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine, and The Rocking Magpie, where critics have noted both its stylistic authenticity and its contemporary interpretation of traditional influences. As Glide Magazine noted, "Parker demonstrates the enduring resonance of Cosmic American Music," while Racket Magazine described his work as "a continuation of the cosmic country lineage."

Music style

Parker's musical style combines elements of country, Americana, and folk rock, characterized by a blend of acoustic instrumentation and electric guitar textures. His work is influenced by the tradition of Cosmic American Music, associated with artists such as Gram Parsons, Gene Clark, and The Byrds.

Parker is known for his distinctive use of a Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar, which features prominently in his American Cosmic Revival recordings and contributes to the jangling, layered sound that defines his work. Glide Magazine has noted that Parker's voice is "uncannily similar" to that of Gram Parsons, a comparison that underscores his deep connection to the Cosmic American Music tradition.

His songwriting often focuses on narrative-driven themes, including personal reflection, relationships, resilience, and spirituality. Musically, his compositions frequently shift between introspective, minor-key verses and more expansive, melodic choruses.

In his American Cosmic Revival recordings, Parker incorporates stylistic elements such as jangling guitars, pedal steel arrangements, and layered harmonies, reflecting the aesthetic of late-1960s California country-rock while adapting it to contemporary production approaches.

Discography

Albums

• Reflections of Tomorrow (May 8, 1986)
• Of Loves Sweet Rhyme (1987) (out of print)
• Christian Parker (April 15, 1993) (out of print)
• Now & Then (January 1, 2007)
• Every Passing Mile (January 21, 2022)
• Through the Darkness (May 27, 2022) (remix/remaster of 1990 original)
• Best Kept Secret (July 1, 2022)
• Wonderland (May 5, 2023) (remix/remaster of 1991 original)
• Sweethearts: A Tribute to The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo (August 18, 2023)
• Change Is Now: A Tribute to the Byrds (March 22, 2024)
• American Cosmic Revival, Vol. 1: Back At Home: A Tribute to the International Submarine Band (June 6, 2025)
• American Cosmic Revival, Vol. 2: Miles From Nowhere (2026)

Singles

• Spirit of the Trees (February 17, 2023)
• Forever Man (June 16, 2023)
• Girl from the North Country (August 9, 2024)

Awards

• 2023 SAMMY Nominees/Recipients
• 2024 SAMMY Recipients (Best Country Winner)
• 2025 SAMMY Nominees

Personal life

Parker resides in Canton, New York, with his wife Jennifer Parker and their five children: Emily Curry, Elizabeth, Joshua, Jude, and Gracen Parker.

Parker's father, Arlie Parker (born 1938), is a Canadian retired ice hockey defenseman and a two-time All-American at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Arlie Parker was named the first Most Outstanding Player at the inaugural ECAC Hockey Championship Tournament in 1962 and was inducted into the St. Lawrence University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988.

Parker's son, Joshua Parker (born January 8, 1998), is an entrepreneur and CEO of Parker Communications, based in Austin, Texas. At age 18, Joshua appeared on ABC's Shark Tank (Season 8, 2016), pitching his maple syrup company Parker's Real Maple to a panel of investors. Following his Shark Tank appearance, Parker's Real Maple expanded to over 3,000 retail locations including Walmart, Whole Foods, and Wegmans. The company was acquired by The Forest Farmers in 2020.

                          

External links

Official

• Personal website
• Official Store
• SubCat Records profile

Streaming

• Spotify
• Apple Music
• Amazon Music
• YouTube Music
• Pandora
• Deezer
• TIDAL
• SoundCloud
• Bandcamp
• Audiomack

Social Media

• YouTube
• Instagram
• Facebook
• TikTok TikTok
• X (Twitter)

Live & Events

• Bandsintown

Music Databases

• AllMusic
• MusicBrainz
• ISNI
• Discogs