Singer Ken Parker, best known for songs like True, True, True, and Jimmy Brown, died in Florida on February 22. His wife, Rose, confirmed his death in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.
She said her husband — who would have turned 82 on February 23 — succumbed to injuries he sustained in an auto accident on February 16. They were returning home from church when the incident occurred.
Mrs. Parker was also injured and remains hospitalized.
Born in Westmoreland, Parker was among the many vocalists who emerged during the rocksteady era of 1966-68. He recorded several hit songs for producer Arthur “Duke” Reid at Treasure Isle studio with the Supersonics Band.
True, True, True, Jimmy Brown, I Can’t Hide and My Whole World is Falling Down were some of the popular songs Parker recorded. Those singles caught on in the United Kingdom through distribution from Trojan Records, a London-based company operated by Jamaican Lee Gopthal.
To capitalize on that popularity, Parker moved to the UK in the early 1970s and lived there for almost 30 years, releasing self-produced songs for his label.
Reggae-dancehall producers revisited Parker’s finest moments during the 1980s. The Tamlins covered My Whole World is Falling Down for Sly and Robbie in 1980, while the horn phrase for I Can’t Hide drove Nitty Gritty’s Run Down The World, produced by Lloyd “King Jammy” James in 1985.
The Parkers, who were married for 37 years, relocated to Florida where they lived for many years.
Ken Parker is survived by seven children and five grandchildren.
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