The Parker Family

Rex Parker, father of the group, was born on September 21, 1921 in Maplewood, West Virginia. His wife, maiden-named Eleanor Niera, was born on February 29, 1922 in Beard's Fork, West Virginia. They first met in grade school in Layland West Virginia. They later worked together in a stage show, and they married in 1941. Rex had become an excellent guitar and mandolin player. In fact, he was proficient on several stringed instru¬ments. Shortly after getting married, the Parkers began playing a variety of music on WHIS radio in Bluefield, West Virginia. They were heard daily on the station. With the establishment of WHIS television in 1955, the Parkers were seen regularly on that show also. The Parker Family's affiliation with WHIS endured for 18 years. During WWII, a lot of musical acts disbanded while members were off to war. The Parkers often played up to five shows a day during those years. Rex and Eleanor had four children. Two of the girls, Conizene and Rexana, became active members in the group. At one time the Parker Family played different kinds of music. By 1959, their conviction moved them to record Gospel music exclusively. The Family Gospel recordings on this collection are a testimony to that conviction. The Parker Family recorded three gospel albums for King Records in Cincinnati in 1959. Two of those albums were on Audio Lab, one of King's subsidiary labels. The King Records masters were purchased in 1975 by Moe Lytle, founder and CEO of Gusto Records in Nashville, TN. Over the years, Gusto Records made every effort to make the King recordings available to the public. (From Back Cover GT7-2223-2)