Email:
theparksfamilyband@gmail.com
The Parks Family Band is a bluegrass band born out of the plains of Oklahoma. Composed of a mother, father, and three sons, the Parks Family has been performing together since 2002. First starting when the youngest member of the family was only nine years of age, the family has performed across the United States with their homegrown approach to bluegrass.
With Cindy Parks on guitar and Kenny Parks on stand-up bass, they raised their three sons surrounded by music. Now, with Sam Parks on mandolin, Blake Parks on fiddle, and Joel Parks on banjo, the musical dynamic is prime for traditional bluegrass and they have all been pickin’ strong for the last twelve years. Early on in the family’s musical development, song-writing developed and the family now showcases a wonderful collection of original and traditional music to fill any night with dancing and fun family-friendly entertainment.
Blake’s versatility is also evident due to the fact that he plays with two additional bands, one being bluegrass and the other being rock and roll. Steelwind, the bluegrass band, is mainly comprised of soulful originals filled with amazing lead vocals, harmonies and instrumentals. And Blake’s Dad, Kenny, plays the upright bass in this band! Blake’s fiddle in the rock and roll band, Nicnos, helps create a unique sound as the group delivers shows that exude high energy, strong vocals, and talented instrumentation, which are all intriguing to the listener.
ABOUT
Sam’s voracious appetite to play bluegrass music and his astounding ability to play numerous instruments
keeps him gigging nonstop with two additional bands - The Lonesome Days and Head for the Hills. He extends his talents to guitar and highlights many of his originals while playing with The Lonesome Days. Head for the Hills is a band with a more eclectic style. It is a bluegrass sound that reaches into indie rock, jazz, hip hop, and folk, where Sam exudes his versatility while shredding on mandolin and partaking in lead vocals and four part harmonies.
The Parks Family is a close knit family who sings together, plays music together, laughs together, and vacations together. They like to spread the joy of music in order to help bring happiness to the listening ears of all kinds of folks.
The Parks Family has performed at Oklahoma’s International Bluegrass Festival, The State Capitol Building of Oklahoma, Byron Berline’s Music Hall, The Walnut Valley Festival in Kansas, and countless other venues across the nation. Their blend of original and traditional bluegrass can be likened to musicians like John Prine, John Fulbright, The Del McCoury Band and more.
Over the years, the family has released two full-length albums titled Making Memories, and Parks Family. The love of playing music is so passionate for each family member, each person in the family plays in other bands in addition to the Parks Family Band. Mom and Dad (Kenny and Cindy) frequently perform with The Ol’ Geezers – a traditional bluegrass band featuring guitars, banjo, mandolin, and upright bass. The 87 year-old banjo player in the band opened for Elvis Presley in his day and has been a great inspiration for Joel to play banjo.
“We were thrilled our children showed an interest in music because it is so wonderful for the soul, body and mind. It’s a gift that can last a lifetime.”
CONTACT
Joel Parks, the guitarist, pianist, bones player, and banjo player, is also the leader in the band, Ripple Green. This band is a diverse, yet sculpted mixture of rhythm, risk, and energetic expression. Joel is the main lyricist/composer and singer of the numerous originals that astound audiences with the falsettos, rolling melodies, and tightness of various rhythms.
Cindy Parks, The Duncan Magazine, 2016