Eric Parker grew up in a home permeated with music and art, and creativity. His father, Robert Andrew Parker (still alive at 95) is a world renowned fine artist with a keen interest in jazz. Robert started drumming on the side and soon had 2 careers going; art and jazz music.

Eric's Mom was a major influence on his upbringing and was a constant source of inspiration and support. She was the editor of the Litchfield County Times for the last few decades of her extraordinary life of raising 5 boys and being elected a Democratic Representative for Putnam County, N.Y.

So, Eric  has followed some of his father’s footsteps and became a drummer whose second career is art.

Eric ’s first gig was at 13 (1966) with a jazz group called the Ronnie Sant Trio in Brewster N.Y. ( Sant owned a music store in Brewster  and we’d all go and shop there for drum supplies). He then formed a band in High School called Dog Breath ( after the Zappa song) and it was a soul rock band with horns and often 2 drummers and were getting popular for school functions. Then Eric was asked into a band in Ithaca N.Y. called Razamatazz. It also gained popularity in the college town atmosphere. He was still in High School and take a train to NYC then would hop on a Trailways bus and bus up to Ithaca and make 200 bucks a night at sweaty packed rock clubs with Baccus/

Razzamatazz. He kept the weekend's money in his socks and take the bus and train back home and back to school on Monday morning. He spent it on records and drums and interesting hippie clothes from Greenwich Village Or on trips to the Fillmore East.( He saw Jeff Beck Group 5 times at the Fillmore East)

Eric’s next band was called Good Friend Coyote and was based in Great Barrington, Ma. It was a great Texas swing soul band with 3 horns and fiddle, 2 guitars and piano, bass and drums and very popular in the region. Opening for Hot Tuna and David Bromberg at Music Inn / Tanglewood.

Eric was then asked into the Fabulous Rhinestones and still at only 19 not allowed to play in the clubs and under drinking age. He made a great rhythm section friend and partner with Harvey Brooks who led the band and received many session calls and joined him on many of them. They could both read music and groove hard so quite popular in the recording world of Woodstock. The Rhinestones was Eric’s first record. A great album with a cult following and guests like Brian Auger and Tom Scott to boot. The he was asked to go on tour with Valerie Carter, on a tour opening to Little Feat in 1977. Great U.S. Tour and he met many musicians along the way including the first dinner out the night he landed in L.A. with Lowell George, Valerie Carter, Richard Bell, Maurice White, Verdine White, Bob Cavallo( ARC Records owner) and Richie Hayward! “Hey, Maurice could you please pass me the breadsticks?“ Ha!

Then he joined the John Hall band and went on tour opening to Little Feat (1978) on the Waiting For Columbus tour all over the U.S. for over 4months!

Then Eric was asked to Join the Ian Hunter Band with Mick Ronson. He recorded a few songs on You’re Never Alone With a Schizophrenic ( Ships, When The Daylight Comes) and also recorded on the new discovery Ellen Foley, which Ian and Mick were also producing up at Bearsville Studios. The recorded the cult raved Welcome To The Club -  double album live record at the Roxy in L.A.  and also was at the same time in the John Hall Band and recorded  the album All The Above which contained his co written  top 40 hit song “Crazy ( Keep on Fallin’) then he toured in Europe and the U.S. with Ian Hunter Band  with Cheap Trick and Rush and sometimes Bob Segar and Heart . He also recorded a record with Nick Jameson ( Producer bass player - Foghat) and promoted that record “Already Free” by touring the U.S. opening to Rush and Bob Seger  until Bob fell over a stage monitor and put his back out- 3 month tour cut short at 21/2 months) .  Eric toured with Ian Hunter Band with Mick Ronson again this time with just Heart or Blue Oyster  Cult and a few Cheap Trick dates too.

 Then he got a call from Steve Winwood, asking if he’s be interested in touring to promote his hit record, Arc of A Diver. He said yes!! And moved to  London for a few months and toured all over Europe and the U.K. When he had a few weeks off, Eric was asked to Tour with Bonnie Raitt  with the John Hall band opening and backing her. Fun tour! Then while waiting for Steve to get with Will Jennings( his co-writer on Arc..” And Talking back to the night ) and write and record the next record.. Eric called Michael Lang, looking for a place to drum in the winter months with two young daughters at home;

He said, I have good news and bad news. I said Im a bad news first guy.. he said well there’s no electricity in that place,, I said ok thanks a lot for checking.. talk to you soon,, he said wait, do you want the good news? I said yeah! “Do you want to play for Joe Cocker?” I said Sure when ? He said asap. 2 days later I was in  Tel Aviv at a sold out stadium with Joe Cocker!

Eric stayed with Joe Cocker for over 7 years many tours all over the world 3 records and a played  a lot of fun music, memories that will last a lifetime.

When Eric moved to NYC from Woodstock, he was asked into the Mick Taylor band with Max Middleton and Wilbur Bascomb and Blondie Chaplin  or Shane Fontaine on rhythm. Second guitar.  Joel Diamond- piano also Jon Paris guitar And recorded a great live record ; Stranger in This Town and toured all over Europe Scandanavia and Japan and Australia ( 5 th time there, 4 times before with Joe Cocker) and was also asked into the new Cornell Dupree band called ;”Who It Is”  featuring Richard tee, Will lee, Steve Greenfield and Cornell. They did a US tour with Chuck Rainy, Richard Tee,  Blue Lou Marini and Terrance Stafford. Cornell also recorded 3 of Eric’s songs on his records; Ramona, Slippin’ In and  Let the Sun Shine On Me Again) and recorded a dvd LIVE  at The Lonestar Roadhouse.  Altogether Eric recorded 5 cd’s with Cornell Dupree

Eric divided his time in NYC with these 2 outstanding bands and lots of early morning jingle work and other folks records or local performances. One was Simon and The Bar Sinisters a NYC surf/punk band that was very popular. Recorded a record called Look at Me, I'm Cool .  

Around this time Eric started his Science Friction project and got a record deal on Orchard records and made a few CD’s in NYC studios and home recording in the apt. at one point he got a call from a friend who worked for Philip Glass. And  Eric joined the Philip Glass company working in the studio there ( Glassworks) and in the publishing company with his friend from Tommy Two Tone - Jim Keller at Philip Glass’s company- Dunvagen Music.  

Then Eric's  daughters Mimi and Claudia moved from Brooklyn back to Woodstock, Eric followed then back up to the music soaked town and got to keep hanging out with his daughters and started doing session and produce records of all kinds  and also doing a few of the artwork on the covers!   Recording currently with world class stars John Sebastian  and Happy Traum and The Pousette-Dart Band  along with many local very talented artists like Elly Winninger, Marilyn Kirby,  Michael Veitch, Mateo Dugan,  Brian Mitchell, Kurt Henry and Dog Knows, Little Rock, Big Joe Fitz,  Marc Black Band and the Funky Sex Gods (He also co produced ) and just recorded the latest Ellis Paul record  and Tony Jackson’s latest record.  

Eric continues to enjoy a lot of session calls and making music locally at great venues like The Bearsville Theater, Darryl’s House, The Falcon, Levon Helm Rambles  and  Colony.

Eric’s brothers; Chris, Tony, Geoff and Nicholas,  are all still close and often see each other to jam out on multiple drum sets or go hiking or fishing out in our rowboat on the Ashokan Reservoir.  

Eric resides in New York's Hudson Valley.

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