Lexington musician receives praise from country music legends and gives glory to God as he prepares to record one of their own classic songs

Lexington, SC 07/14/2025 (Paul Kirby) – Lexington based musician Rich Parr is receiving a great deal of praise for his musical repertoire and raw talent from some of country music’s greats. Parr, who lives in the Lexington area, but commutes back and forth to Nashville to work with some of the biggest names in the classic country and gospel music business, is now about to re-record one of “Little” David Wilkins hits from 1975, One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show.

One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show went to number 11 on the Billboard chart for Wilkins who is still writing and recording at age 85. In ’75, that single topped #10 on many other music charts producing magazines. It’s one of hundreds of songs Wilkins wrote, many of which won multiple awards and topped charts for decades. Even at 85, Wilkins is still writing and recording. “I have a new video out right now called the Bud Light Blues you can find on the internet. I reckon I’ll be writing and recording until they find me face down on a half-written page. That song someone else will have to finish,” Wilkin’s quipped.  

Don’t get confused at this point and believe that Lexington’s Parr only sings classic country. “Rich’s range and the field of genres that he’s mastered is amazing,” said Wilkins about him during a phone interview. “From old time country to gospel, a more modern country music and even pop, us old timers have noticed this guy who can come into town for a short while, record all kinds of songs, and be back working a regular job in South Carolina the next week.”

Last year, Parr recorded with members of country music legend Ronnie Milsap’s band. His contact with these former super stars comes from his befriending greats in the business from singers to musicians, producers, and more. “Many of my friends have been in the music business their entire lives and unless you’ve been in it, few realize how these professionals are so intertwined,” Parr said recently.

As an example, Parr brought up the name Diane Berry. Diane started as a teen singing with her parents on live radio at about 13-years-old. “We were called the Halman Family and at first, I was a drummer.” Berry said. “After I came to Nashville I learned to produce, sing as a backup to some of the greats, and have played everything from gospel to blue grass and classic country. Since those original live AM radio shows I’ve been on the Grand Ole Opry, The Music City Hayride, Nashville Nights and more,” according to Berry. “I’ve sang either as a duet partner or backup with Rich on everything he’s recorded in Nashville and my contacts have fallen in love with him.”

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Berry went on to explain in Nashville, contacts are the key. “I married a musician named Joe and he brought a whole different set of contacts into the mix. Pretty soon, you’ve met and either disappointed or impressed many of the people that make the buzz in the industry. Right now, people are buzzing about Rich Parr because he is so impressive.”

In the next week, Parr will team up again with Berry to record. “We are looking forward to another successful collaboration as the team working on this project is so talented and strong.” Parr is not selfish with his praise. “I offer all the glory for this to God. Although he’s never a vocalist on any of these songs, and you’ll not here a holy hand strumming a harp, it’s God that’s put the right people in my path and made me the success I am.”

Parr, unlike many of the artists he works with, didn’t grow up in the deep south attending church with his granny every Sunday. Instead, Parr was raised in New Jersey. Rebelling at a young age, Rich ran away from home and landed on the streets of New York City. There, he was often homeless and stayed in a phone booth when the weather was bad. “It wasn’t long before I realized I could make money running errands and doing small jobs for the mob. I was getting wrapped up in some very bad stuff. I also was doing secular music in some of the clubs and venues that were frequented or belonged to New York’s organized crime families.” He said that it wasn’t long before law enforcement officials in New York had enough of young Rich Parr and he was sentenced to a long prison term. “That’s when I found that God was working in my life,” Rich said. “My prison sentence was miraculously reduced and when I was paroled well before my sentence was over. I began making music for God through gospel and not for the mob anymore.” He also got smart and eventually came south away from the bright lights and temptations of sin city.

Today, Parr still marvels at what God is doing in his life. “On July 22, I’ll be performing on one of the longest running country shows in Nashville, The Music City Hayride with Diane. Then on July 24, we’ll be doing Nashville Nights, and I just got a call from a producer of the Bobby Jone’s Gospel Show. Bobby Jones is a great man of color who once had a successful gospel show on Black Entertainment Television (BET). Breaking barriers there and doing all these other things isn’t something I have a successful agent lining up. I have to believe these are arranged and ordained by God!”

Some of the success God has brought to Parr takes the form of a new album that features classic songs he recorded with Berry as backup. That album called Champagne Country can be heard by following this link. (CHAMPAGNE COUNTRY) Also, his latest video is running on ETV. That can be seen by following this link. (RICH PARR ON ETV).

On July 19^th, Parr, Berry, and his long-time producer John Heinrich, a Music City legend himself, will record Wilkin’s One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show. Afterward, people will have the opportunity to enjoy that classic once again.

You can listen to several of Rich’s albums on YouTube at this link. (RICH PARR ON YOUTUBE) You can also find much of his music by simply searching Google for Rich Parr Country Music.

PICTURE CEPTION: RICH PARR AND DIANE BERRY