Rick Parnell, Richmond, BC
Rick Parnell's music sprouts from the very roots of the Folk-Rock tradition and yet subtly suggests new directions and possibilities. Introspective and captivating, listeners compare Rick Parnell most often to Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, though the comparison is more about response than sound. George Harrison, John Lennon and Johnny Cash are also influences that often arise when describing Rick's vocal and song writing style.
In 2008, after walking away from an enviable corporate career, Rick Parnell acknowledged to himself and his family that his true passion has always been music. Parnell decided to wade more deeply into composing and performing. With the discipline of a business manager, and the resilience of a man whose finally found his calling, he impressed musician/producer and new found friend Graham Ronne who offered to produce a few demos for him. The success of those first demos and the artistic communication that followed led directly to the completion of his first six-song EP. As a broader audience discovers Rick's music, future projects are taking shape, with new opportunities to reach out even further.
Though Parnell has been drawn to music his entire life, active songwriting really began in 2006. In the summer of that year, with a gig looming, he was challenged by a friend and colleague to create an original song for the charitable event. Buoyed by the enthusiastic response to that endeavor, Parnell began a productive period of songwriting that continues without an end in view.
Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the third of six children, Parnell grew up on military bases in Ontario, returning to the West only after graduating university. Rick is a life-long learner with no discernible fear for almost any subject. Music has always been a passion, from imitating Louis Armstrong on the radio as a small child, to performing charity gigs while holding down senior management roles.
