AustraliaI's Greatest Voice...
Doug Parkinson may look like the devil with his large frame and that goatee, but when he opens it up his voice is sweet and soulful, resonating in a way that few of his contemporaries can match.
Since the mid-Sixties Doug Parkinson has been regarded as one of AustraliaI's finest vocalists, a “singerI's singer” who is one of the truly great soul/R&B vocalists of our time. His deep, resonant, smoky baritone voice is operatic in its power, yet possesses a range and subtlety that few others can match. His sound is instantly recognizable and unmistakable, yet his great versatility enables him to be equally at home in almost every popular genre including soul, R&B, pop, psychedelia, heavy rock, jazz, swing and musicals. Added to his vocal prowess is an imposing stage presence (including his trademark "Lucifer" beard) and a solid acting ability.
Doug has enjoyed a long and remarkably varied career in the Australian music industry, although like many of his contemporaries it has to be said that he has been woefully under-recorded. He is best remembered as the frontman for a fine array of top-notch groups from the mid-60s to the early ‘80s - the most memorable being the redoubtable Doug Parkinson In Focus.
After four decades in the music industry the accomplished singer has released a new album called Somewhere After Midnight, a collection of standards such as Norwegian Wood, At Last and The Look of Love. "I recall hearing and loving these songs as a boy lying awake, glued to my bedroom radio somewhere after midnight," he says.
One of the truly versatile talents in Australian music, Doug Parkinson is happiest in front of an audience. Either starring in a hit musical or singing a bluesy soul tune backed by a pack of horns and a crack rhythm section, the fact remains that for four decades he has been Australia’s pre-eminent voice amongst the musical community.
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