Dean Parks


Weldon Dean Parks is an American session guitarist and record producer from Fort Worth, Texas, United States.

Albums

Parks was member of the North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Cher in 1970. In 1980, Parks was a founding member of the Jazz Fusion band Koinonia. Parks is best known for his many contributions to albums by Steely Dan and Michael Jackson. Notably, he played guitar on the Royal Scam track "Haitian Divorce", which features a Talkbox. He has performed with Joan Baez, Gordon Lightfoot, Alexander O'Neal, Crosby and Nash, Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, Roberto Carlos, Elton John, Celine Dion, the Monkees, Madeleine Peyroux, America, Diana Ross, George Benson, Rod Stewart, Randy Travis, Bob Seger, Billy Joel, Neil Diamond, Michael Bublé, Barry Manilow, David Lee Roth, Paul Simon, Dolly Parton, Amanda Lear, Kenny Loggins, Tom Scott, B.B. King, Dusty Springfield, Randy Edelman, Leon Gieco, Koinonia, Johnny Rivers, Johnny Hallyday, Randy Newman, Joe Cocker, David Baerwald, the Gypsy Queens and Bread. Parks is also a long time collaborator on David Foster albums; such as "Shadows" by Gordon Lightfoot.
Parks features on Cat Beach's albums Letting Go and Love Me Out Loud. In 2008, Parks participated in the production of the album Psalngs, the debut release of Canadian musician John Lefebvre.
Dean Parks is very prominently featured on Viktor Krauss' album II, where he plays a plethora of other stringed instruments in addition to electric and acoustic guitars.

Tours

During the late 1970s, Parks teamed up with Bread for their "Lost Without Your Love" reunion tour, taking on the responsibilities of lead guitarist. Following the departure of founding member Jimmy Griffin, Parks then became the 'unofficial' fourth member for the duration of the 1977/78 tours, including the visit to England to record a BBC TV special. He also continued the role when Bread's co-founder, David Gates, put together his own solo touring band shortly afterwards. In the spring of 2005 he joined David Crosby and Graham Nash on their European tour, as well as their U.S. tours in fall 2007, fall 2008, and spring 2011. In April 2017 Parks joined James Taylor's band while Taylor recovered from a broken finger.

Movies

Parks has played guitar for film scores such as ', Bowfinger, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Big Bounce, Days of Thunder, Dying Young, August Rush, ' and Rosewood.

Personal life

He was married to fellow musician Carol Parks.

Discography

With America
With Bobby Bland
With Cher/Sonny & Cher
With Chris Botti
With Michael Bublé
  • 2003 Michael Bublé
  • 2005 It's Time
  • 2006 With Love
  • 2007 Call Me Irresponsible
  • 2009 Crazy Love
  • 2011 Christmas
  • 2018 Love
With T Bone Burnett
  • 1972 The B-52 Band & the Fabulous Skylarks
  • 1992 The Criminal Under My Own Hat
With Joe Cocker
  • 1984 Civilized Man
  • 1996 Organic
  • 1997 Across from Midnight
  • 2004 Heart & Soul
With Andraé Crouch
With Rita Coolidge
  • 1974 Fall into Spring
  • 1975 It's Only Love
  • 1979 Satisfied
  • 1981 Heartbreak Radio
  • 1996 Out of the Blues
With the Crusaders
  • 1976 Free as the Wind
  • 1978 Images
  • 1980 Rhapsody and Blues
  • 1980 Standing Tall
  • 1984 Ghetto Blaster
  • 1986 The Good and the Bad Times
  • 2003 Rural Renewal
With Julia Fordham
  • 1991 Swept
  • 2002 Concrete Love
  • 2004 That's Life
  • 2005 That's Live
With Kenny Loggins
  • 1977 Celebrate Me Home
  • 1991 Leap of Faith
  • 1994 Return to Pooh Corner
  • 1997 The Unimaginable Life
  • 2000 More Songs from Pooh Corner
With Lyle Lovett
  • 1992 Joshua Judges Ruth
  • 1996 The Road to Ensenada
  • 1998 Step Inside This House
  • 2003 My Baby Don't Tolerate
  • 2003 Smile
  • 2007 It's Not Big It's Large
  • 2009 Natural Forces
  • 2012 Release Me
With the Manhattan Transfer
With Aaron Neville
With Madeleine Peyroux
With Rebecca Pidgeon
With Joe Sample
  • 1978 Rainbow Seeker
  • 1979 Carmel
  • 1980 Voices in the Rain
  • 1982 The Hunter
  • 1983 Roles
  • 1985 Oasis
  • 1995 Old Places Old Faces
  • 1997 Sample This
  • 2002 The Pecan Tree
With Steely Dan
  • 1974 Pretzel Logic
  • 1975 Katy Lied
  • 1976 The Royal Scam
  • 1977 Aja
  • 2000 Two Against Nature
With others