Thanks—Thanks A Lot
About this ebook
~ Dolly Parton
A lover of country music and broadcasting from his earliest days, Billy Parker took his first tentative steps into both those fields while still in his teens, leading to lasting renown as both a top-rated deejay and country recording artist.
Following a stint as the front man for Ernest Tubb’s famed Texas Troubadours, Billy returned to his native Oklahoma, where he originated one of the first nationally known overnight radio shows of the ‘70s. For years, Billy’s voice rode nightly over the mighty airwaves of the original KVOO, a 50,000-watt flamethrower that spread Billy Parker’s Big Rigger show all across the country. Later, as program director for the station, he helped many country performers at all levels, becoming well-known for giving everyone a fair shake, regardless of their stature in the industry.
Thanks – Thanks A Lot doesn’t just refer to the famous hit record he cut back in the 1960s; it’s also Billy Parker’s sincere nod to those who helped make him what he is today: a performer with several national hits; a trailblazing, multiple-award-winning deejay; and—as the call letters of the station that brought him stardom indicate —nothing less than the Voice of Oklahoma.
"Billy was so important to the Oak Ridge Boys. He helped break all our songs and the Midwest followed. Billy was a trusted voice of radio. I am so blessed that our paths crossed and we became good friends for over five decades."
~ Duane Allen (of the Oak Ridge Boys)
About the author
JOHN WOOLEY has written, co-written, or edited nearly 50 books, including his previous collaboration with Brett Bingham, Twentieth-Century Honky-Tonk, the story of Tulsa's legendary Cain's Ballroom. He also spent several years working with his friend Billy Parker on KVOO's Wooley Wednesday western-swing program. His most recent works include the critically acclaimed Cleansing horror trilogy (Seventh Sense, Satan's Swine, and Sinister Serpent), all written with Robert A. Brown, and Right Down the Middle, the as-told-to biography of the New York Yankees pitching great Ralph Terry. A four-time finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award, Wooley was the first writer ever to be inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.
BRETT BINGHAM broke into print in 2020 with Twentieth-Century Honky-Tonk, an experience positive enough to lead to this second collaboration with his co-writer, John Wooley. Like Wooley, he and Billy Parker have been friends for many years. In fact, Brett’s music-business work with his uncle, the legendary producer and booking agent Ray Bingham, has led to many enduring friendships and opportunities. Brett is also the business manager for Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys under the direction of Jason Roberts, the newest incarnation of the famed western-swing band—all of this in addition to his corporate world day-job. Preserving musical history is one of the most important things in Brett’s life, as are his daughters, Jessica and Tori.
