Billy Parker, a veteran country music singer and legendary DJ, has died.
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Local outlet KOTV reports that Parker, a DJ at Tulsa, Oklahoma’s KVOO for nearly four decades, passed away early Monday morning at a Tulsa hospital. The outlet gave no cause of death for the 88-year-old.
Born in Tuskegee, Oklahoma, Parker began his radio career as a teenager in McAlester. By age 18, he was a regular performer on KOTV, Channel 6. This led to an affiliation with country star Red Foley, who was based in Springfield, Missouri, at the time.
Parker eventually made Tulsa his home base, performing and working as a disc jockey there until 1968. That year, Ernest Tubb chose him to replace Cal Smith as the frontman of the Texas Troubadours. During this period, Billy recorded several singles for Decca Records, produced by the renowned Nashville producer Owen Bradley.
Billy Parker Settles in Tulsa and Becomes a Radio Legend
Weary of life on the road, Parker and his wife, Jerri, returned to Tulsa in 1971. There, he became a major influence in national country music radio by launching “Billy Parker’s Big Rigger Show,” one of the nation’s first all-night programs for truckers.
His work earned him Disc Jockey of the Year honors from the Country Music Association in 1974 and the Academy of Country Music in 1975, 1977, 1978, and 1984. In 1992, he was inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame, followed by numerous other accolades throughout his career.
During his time at KVOO, Parker landed 23 singles on the Billboard Hot Country chart, including hits like “Lord, If I Make It to Heaven.” His signature song “Thanks A Lot” also served as the title for his 2021 autobiography.
KOTV anchor LeAnne Taylor paid tribute to Parker in a heartfelt social media post.
“We lost a good one,” she wrote on Facebook alongside several candid photos. “Billy Parker passed away Monday at the age of 88. Last time I saw him was when I interviewed him on the morning show for his latest book.”
“Billy was always so supportive of my career, and I was so grateful for his impact on me,” she added. “What a true country legend!”
For most of his radio career, Parker’s home station was KVOO, with call letters standing for “Voice of Oklahoma.” In a tribute, KOTV noted that “throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, and beyond, that’s exactly what Billy Parker was. No one who met him or heard him will ever forget him.”