Biography
Kenny Parchman never escaped the status of a footnote in Sun Records lore despite ample proof of his abilities on the recordings that remain. Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash developed substantial national and international audiences through the Memphis label, whereas Parchman advanced no farther than an assigned catalog number for the canceled single “Love Crazy Baby” b/w “I Feel Like Rockin’,” an abandonment whose cause has never been clarified. Born January 15, 1932 near Jackson, TN, he grew captivated by sounds broadcast on the radio; his parents purchased a guitar for him during childhood. His mother taught him the instrument, and music appeared a plausible part-time pursuit. He earned his keep as a Wells Fargo truck driver yet devoted considerable leisure hours to Memphis clubs, absorbing performances. In 1955 he assembled his own group. Strongly shaped by Carl Perkins’ contemporaneous lineup, the High-Hats performed at local dances and record hops, with Jerry Lee Smith handling piano while Parchman sang and played lead guitar. By mid-1956 the musicians had cut demos for Sam Phillips at Sun Records; they signed in August with “Love Crazy Baby” slated as their debut, yet the release was withdrawn. Additional sides, several of them originals, were tracked for the label but stayed unreleased. During summer 1957 Parchman accepted a contract from the newly established Jaxon label in Jackson, TN, and recorded his first commercially issued single, “Treat Me Right” b/w “Don’t You Know.”
After that release he laid down what is widely regarded as his strongest track, “Tennessee Zip,” again for Sun; the master remained vaulted for twenty-five years. Although the band continued performing hillbilly-style country material, they intensified the drum sound, accelerated the tempos, and merged seamlessly into the prevailing rock & roll pulse, transforming their output into potent rockabilly that later listeners embraced with the same enthusiasm the original singles generated. He next signed with the Jackson-based LU label, which brought out his second single, “Get It Off Your Mind” b/w “Satellite Hop,” in 1958. Local engagements persisted, mixing country and rock & roll. Eventually Parchman exited the music industry to establish a thriving home-construction firm in Jackson; during the ’70s and ’80s he was astonished to discover that his unissued Sun sides had surfaced and that his 1950s recordings had become prized, particularly across Europe. His health deteriorated in the early ’90s, and he died in 1999 at age 67 following an extended illness.
After that release he laid down what is widely regarded as his strongest track, “Tennessee Zip,” again for Sun; the master remained vaulted for twenty-five years. Although the band continued performing hillbilly-style country material, they intensified the drum sound, accelerated the tempos, and merged seamlessly into the prevailing rock & roll pulse, transforming their output into potent rockabilly that later listeners embraced with the same enthusiasm the original singles generated. He next signed with the Jackson-based LU label, which brought out his second single, “Get It Off Your Mind” b/w “Satellite Hop,” in 1958. Local engagements persisted, mixing country and rock & roll. Eventually Parchman exited the music industry to establish a thriving home-construction firm in Jackson; during the ’70s and ’80s he was astonished to discover that his unissued Sun sides had surfaced and that his 1950s recordings had become prized, particularly across Europe. His health deteriorated in the early ’90s, and he died in 1999 at age 67 following an extended illness.
Albums
