Lee Roy Parnell | |
|---|---|
 Parnell at the Texas Songwriter's Hall of Fame 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1956-12-21)December 21, 1956 (age 69)[1] Abilene, Texas, U.S. |
| Origin | Stephenville, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter, guitarist |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels | Arista Nashville,Career,Vanguard,Universal South, Vector |
| Website | leeroyparnell |
Lee Roy Parnell (born December 21, 1956) is an Americancountry singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Active since 1990, he has recorded eight studio albums, and has charted more than twenty singles on theBillboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (nowHot Country Songs) charts. His highest-charting hits are "What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am" (1992), "Tender Moment" (1993), and "A Little Bit of You" (1995), all of which peaked at number two. He recorded for the formerArista Nashville for the entirety of the 1990s, with later releases onVanguard, Universal South (nowShow Dog-Universal Music), and Vector. Parnell's music is defined by hisblues influences and use ofslide guitar.
Parnell was born inAbilene, Texas, but raised inStephenville, Texas.[2] His father had performed withBob Wills, and Parnell gave his first performance at age six on Wills' radio show.[1] Parnell played guitar and drums in various bands during his teenage years. He joinedKinky Friedman'sTexas Jewboys in his late teens and moved to Austin in 1974 to join the city's budding music scene.[1] He moved toNashville, Tennessee, in 1987, and he signed with theArista Nashville recording company two years later.[2]
Parnell released hisself-titled debut album forArista Records in 1990.[3] This album produced three chart singles in "Crocodile Tears", "Oughta Be a Law" and "Family Tree", none of which charted in the Top 40 on theBillboard country charts. A video for "Mexican Money" was created and released, but the song was not released to radio.
Love Without Mercy was Parnell's breakthrough album, released in 1992. Although its lead-off single "The Rock" fell short of Top 40, the next three singles all reached Top Ten:[1] "What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am" at No. 2, the title track at No. 8, and finally "Tender Moment" also at No. 2. These three were also Top Ten hits on theRPM charts in Canada.
1993'sOn the Road, Parnell's third album for the Arista label, also produced two top-10 hits: thetitle track and "I'm Holding My Own", at No. 6 and No. 3 respectively. The album also contained a No. 17-peaking rendition of theHank Williams song "Take These Chains from My Heart", which Parnell recorded as a duet withRonnie Dunn ofBrooks & Dunn, although Dunn was not credited on the chart. The final single fromOn the Road, "The Power of Love", peaked at No. 51.
Parnell's fourth album, 1995'sWe All Get Lucky Sometimes, was also his first for Career Records, then a newly formed subsidiary ofArista Nashville. This album's lead-off single "A Little Bit of You" was the third single of his career to reach No. 2. Following it were the No. 12 "When a Woman Loves a Man" (featuring background vocals byTrisha Yearwood), the No. 3 "Heart's Desire" and another No. 12 in "Giving Water to a Drowning Man". The album's title track, which was its fifth single, peaked at No. 46.
Every Night's a Saturday Night was Parnell's final release for Career Records. This was his first album since his debut release that did not produce a Top Ten hit, and only three singles were released from it: "Lucky Me, Lucky You" at No. 35, "You Can't Get There From Here" at No. 39 (his final Top 40 hit), and "All That Matters Anymore" at No. 50. After Career Records was merged back into Arista Nashville, Parnell released his final album for the Arista label, 1999'sHits and Highways Ahead. This album's only single, "She Won't Be Lonely Long", peaked at No. 57, and by the year's end, Parnell exited Arista's roster.
In 2000 Parnell signed toVanguard Records[3] and released the albumTell the Truth. This album's only single, "South by Southwest", failed to chart, and he soon left the label as well. Parnell's next album,Back to the Well, came in 2006 onUniversal South Records, although it also produced only one non-charting single in "Daddies and Daughters."
Besides playingslide guitar andNational guitar on his albums and co-writing several of his own songs, Parnell has co-written two Top 40 country hits for other artists: "Too Much" byPirates of the Mississippi and "That's My Story" byCollin Raye, from 1992 and 1993 respectively. In 1994, he andSteve Wariner collaborated withDiamond Rio on a cover ofMerle Haggard's "Workin' Man's Blues", credited to Jed Zeppelin and recorded for a tribute albumMama's Hungry Eyes: A Tribute to Merle Haggard. This rendition peaked at No. 48 on the country charts. He played slide guitar onMary Chapin Carpenter's late-1994 Number One hit "Shut Up and Kiss Me", and appeared in the song's music video. Parnell added slide guitar toDelbert McClinton's "Sending Me Angels" in 1997, and in late 2004, he was credited with playing slide guitar onDavid Lee Murphy's No. 46-peaking single "Inspiration", from the albumTryin' to Get There.
| Year | Organization | Award | Nominee/Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Country Music Association Awards | Horizon Award | Lee Roy Parnell | Nominated |
| 1995 | Vocal Event of the Year | "Workin' Man Blues"withDiamond Rio andSteve Wariner | Nominated | |
| 1996 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Instrumental Performance | "Cat Walk"withFlaco Jimenez | Nominated |
| 1997 | Country Music Association Awards | Vocal Event of the Year | "John the Revelator: Peace in the Valley"withThe Fairfield Four | Nominated |
| 1998 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Instrumental Performance | "Mama, Screw Your Wig On Tight" | Nominated |
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