Michael Louis Parks has been a song writer ever since he heard his first Beatle Song in the Sixties. In Middle and High school he wrote poetry and short stories and won several contests. Michael continued to write in college where he excelled in creative writing. During this time, he lived in Austin, Texas and soaked up the Austin scene and played guitar with John Garza, a top song writer at the time, and was heavily influenced by the Austin Music Scene where he spent many hours at the Armadi...
Michael Louis Parks has been a song writer ever since he heard his first Beatle Song in the Sixties. In Middle and High school he wrote poetry and short stories and won several contests. Michael continued to write in college where he excelled in creative writing. During this time, he lived in Austin, Texas and soaked up the Austin scene and played guitar with John Garza, a top song writer at the time, and was heavily influenced by the Austin Music Scene where he spent many hours at the Armadillo World Headquarters and other hot spots. He lived at the New Guild Co-Op, and during the summer it was not unusual for “Asleep at the Wheel” to crash after all night jam sessions. This is when Michael first picked up a mandolin. Eventually, Michael moved back to Corpus Christi, Texas to finish school and to be with his daughter, Cindy. Still song writing, most of his tunes revolved around issues of the day. In the late 80’s a friend, Rodney Carter, showed him a simple country lick on the guitar, and after that, something clicked. Throughout the 90’s Michael wrote and co-wrote over fifty songs and began to get the notice of publishers. Michael co-wrote “It’s Time” with Frank Zaruba. (Frank made it big with a tune he wrote for “Little Joe Y Familia” a few years back.) Michael currently has one song published by “Nari Records” under Rick Francisco, a former producer for ZZ Top. The song “Written in the Stars” was a co-write with Marge Sampson. (Marge wrote the song “Quitters never Win” for Jonny Lang.) Recording artist, “Becca”, did a fine job singing “Written In the Stars” on her great CD. Freddy Fender, who lived in Corpus Christi, took an interest in Michael’s music, especially one song in particular after he heard Michael perform it, and gave him some sage advice about the industry. It wasn’t until Michael retired as a teacher that he decided to record eight of his songs which were the most popular at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas where Michael can be found every year sitting around a campfire playing and singing with friends. “Southern Dreams” is the culmination of that effort and with “a little help from his friends”, the rough draft was completed in March of '07 and re-mastered at Gilley's Records where Dennis Gilley played on two of his tunes, “My Baby Must Be Crazy” and “Southern Dreams Reprise”. (Dennis, related to Jerry Lee Lewis, is a very talented musician who shines through on those cuts.) Michael’s CD, “Southern Dreams”, can be found on cdbaby.com. Holly Adams and Jordon Cody recorded one of Michael’s songs at Gilleys Studio “I’m Lookin at Leavin You”. Michael then put together a compilation CD of his songs, performed by some of the best artist in Nashville, Tennessee. That Album “The MLP-D Project: One More Ghost Rider” reflects the many years he tried with some success to promote his songs. “The MLP-D Project” was followed by Michaels “Momma’s Rose” CD, another compilation recorded at Jim Sales Studio in Hendersonville Tennessee. It’s a real gem and sells well in England. At this time Michael has just upgraded his own studio and record label “No Refund Records”. Michael has just produced his first single from that effort, a remake of one of his favorites “There Goes Geronimo” which is set for release in 2010. By a chance meeting at Gilleys Studio in Corpus Christi, Michael met Tejano Star Ricky Smith of Ricky Smith Y La Movida and started working with him on projects for Valencia Records ! As of this time Michael is working with Ricky on a Gospel and Tejano project as well as a new Country Gospel song “Shepherd Of The Light”. With these projects in the work the fun never stops!
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