Ray Parker Jr.

Guitarist/songwriter/producer Ray Parker Jr. had hits as <a href="spotify:artist:1VQ7baxc9Okx2YuRnpKMMR">Raydio</a> (the million-selling "Jack and Jill," "You Can't Change That"), <a href="spotify:artist:1HJlSybDbI7ASahsDPLXac">Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio</a> ("Two Places at the Same Time," "A Woman Needs Love [Just Like You Do]"), and Ray Parker Jr. (the number one R&B and pop gold single "Ghostbusters"), and he co-wrote hit songs for <a href="spotify:artist:3MCjwjfIor5FkK3h639qkW">Rufus</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6mQfAAqZGBzIfrmlZCeaYT">Chaka Khan</a> (the number one "You Got the Love" from fall 1974) and <a href="spotify:artist:3rfgbfpPSfXY40lzRK7Syt">Barry White</a> ("You See the Trouble with Me" from spring 1976).

Born May 1, 1954, in Detroit, Michigan, Parker started out as a teenaged session guitarist playing on sessions recorded for <a href="spotify:artist:3ig4Yf8S2Bjq2yVsiayKM0">Holland-Dozier-Holland</a>'s <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hot+Wax%22">Hot Wax</a> and Invictus Records, whose roster listed <a href="spotify:artist:0701Axu6yvUIoctaKMbDIZ">Freda Payne</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0CXNdUUhv5Cw42dr0wWrjd">Honey Cone</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:69g2TelswPN1IiFDKvaoSL">Chairmen of the Board</a>, 100 Proof Aged in Soul, <a href="spotify:artist:0ApoVi8QEh35twomSXh9TX">Laura Lee</a>, and 8th Wonder. He also played behind <a href="spotify:artist:3RwQ26hR2tJtA8F9p2n7jG">the Temptations</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7guDJrEfX3qb6FEbdPA5qi">Stevie Wonder</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5fbhwqYYh4YwUoEs582mq5">the Spinners</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0TF2NxkJZPQoX1H53rEFM1">Gladys Knight & the Pips</a>, and other <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Motown%22">Motown</a> acts when they appeared at the Twenty Grand Club. In 1972, <a href="spotify:artist:0IqzTL2XoeY7g2wWQ6IhdF">Wonder</a> called Parker to ask him to play behind him on a tour that he was doing with <a href="spotify:artist:22bE4uQ6baNwSHPVcDxLCe">the Rolling Stones</a>. Parker thought it was a crank call and hung up the phone. <a href="spotify:artist:0IqzTL2XoeY7g2wWQ6IhdF">Wonder</a> called back and convinced Parker that he was the real deal by singing "Superstition" to him.

Later, Parker played on <a href="spotify:artist:0IqzTL2XoeY7g2wWQ6IhdF">Wonder</a>'s albums Talking Book (1972) and Innervisions (1973). Moving from Detroit to Los Angeles, Parker got into session work, playing on sides by <a href="spotify:artist:4r2UnA39uIXexqO1mABayb">Leon Haywood</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3rfgbfpPSfXY40lzRK7Syt">Barry White</a>, and arranger <a href="spotify:artist:3oiQ9TEv3AziiXYXR21NAV">Gene Page</a> and working with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Motown%22">Motown</a> producer <a href="spotify:artist:62dJ3dqOn3JuY73VXIpEOl">Clarence Paul</a> on <a href="spotify:artist:5f0ylx0bdBGLL5Ro6WLsCs">Ronnie McNeir</a>'s 1976 <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Motown%22">Motown</a> debut, Love's Comin' Down, and he appeared in the picnic scene in the <a href="spotify:artist:4JeqRr8Upw5uxLEu6jgIRm">Bill Cosby</a>/Sidney Poitier comedy classic Uptown Saturday Night.

Deciding to become a recording artist, Parker got a deal with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Arista+Records%22">Arista Records</a> in 1977. Not confident on his singing ability, he put together a band that included vocalist Arnell Carmichael, bassist/singer Jerry Knight (who later had his own solo hit with "Overnight Sensation" and as half of <a href="spotify:artist:1i95hsWpeVxPaN4HYtVpCC">Ollie & Jerry</a>, and co-produced hits by <a href="spotify:artist:3AHq6rutf72JF0ul8GB6G2">the Jets</a>), guitarist Charles Fearing, Larry Tolbert, and Darren Carmichael. However, on record, Parker played most, if not all of the instruments -- although <a href="spotify:artist:6Ja5LdbTj8w1T9VU3fBQZT">Arnell</a> et al. were paid a retainer so they'd be available if <a href="spotify:artist:1VQ7baxc9Okx2YuRnpKMMR">Raydio</a> had a hit record and needed to tour.

His first LP, Raydio, went gold, peaking at number eight R&B in spring 1978. The LP included the number five gold R&B hit single "Jack and Jill" (lead vocal by Jerry Knight), "Is This a Love Thing," and the charting single "Honey I'm Rich." The hits continued with <a href="spotify:artist:1HJlSybDbI7ASahsDPLXac">Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio</a>'s number four gold Rock On (the single "You Can't Change That" was number three R&B, number nine pop in the spring of 1979); the number six gold R&B Two Places at the Same Time from spring 1980 ("Two Places at the Same Time" was number six R&B in spring 1980); and the number one gold record A Woman Needs Love from 1981 ("A Woman Needs Love [Just Like You Do]" -- the first song Parker sang all the way through without trading vocals -- held the number one R&B spot for two weeks and went number four pop in spring 1981). Then, the Ray Parker Jr. album The Other Woman held the number one R&B, number 11 pop spot in spring 1982 ("The Other Woman" was number two R&B for four weeks).

One of Parker's biggest hits and best-loved songs, "Ghostbusters" was initially submitted for the background score of the Dan Aykroyd/Harold Ramis/<a href="spotify:artist:3wkZ8WTrs7WcfE13voUCK1">Bill Murray</a>/Ernie Hudson comedy. Director Ivan Reitman thought that the song should be released as a single. The "Ghostbusters" music video is one of the funniest and most star-studded videos ever made (breakdancing <a href="spotify:artist:3wkZ8WTrs7WcfE13voUCK1">Bill Murray</a> style). "Ghostbusters" parked at the number one R&B spot for two weeks and the number one pop for three weeks on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Billboard%22">Billboard</a>'s charts in summer 1984. Around this time, <a href="spotify:artist:2OU0OH164ypvP4G3AYynXs">Huey Lewis</a> sued <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Columbia+Pictures%22">Columbia Pictures</a> and Ray Parker Jr. for copyright infringement, claiming that "Ghostbusters" was a ripoff of his recent hit, "I Want a New Drug." <a href="spotify:artist:2OU0OH164ypvP4G3AYynXs">Lewis</a> received an out-of-court settlement.

Parker also wrote and produced hits for <a href="spotify:artist:1mFX1QlezK1lNPKQJkhwWb">New Edition</a> ("Mr. Telephone Man" -- Parker originally recorded this with Jr. Tucker for his 1983 self-titled <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Geffen%22">Geffen</a> album), Randy Hall ("I've Been Watching You [Jamie's Girl]," the refreshing "Gentleman"), <a href="spotify:artist:6UfoTQXaV3DuqtDVjZIxwZ">Cheryl Lynn</a> ("Shake It Up Tonight" from In the Night), <a href="spotify:artist:5jNGQ7VOU87x5402JjhTtd">Deniece Williams</a> (the 1979 ARC/<a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Columbia%22">Columbia</a> LP When Love Comes Calling), <a href="spotify:artist:4Uv0Jg45Oq7vBXXwQNhXyf">Brick</a> (the 1981 <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Bang%22">Bang</a> LP Summer Heat), and <a href="spotify:artist:3MdG05syQeRYPPcClLaUGl">Diana Ross</a> ("Upfront" from her 1983 <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22RCA%22">RCA</a> LP Ross).

Parker left <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Arista%22">Arista</a> for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Geffen%22">Geffen</a> and then <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22MCA%22">MCA</a> before returning to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Arista%22">Arista</a> because of his relationship with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Arista%22">Arista</a> president <a href="spotify:artist:5alKeK7PQGqEJ2oBz5n7sU">Clive Davis</a>. ~ Ed Hogan, Rovi