Little Jr. Parker Blues Trail Marker

Little Jr. Parker sang in gospel groups as a child, and played the blues circuits in his teenage years.  His biggest influence as a harmonica player was Sonny Boy Williamson, with whom he worked before moving on to work for Howlin'Wolf in 1949.  In 1950, he was a member of Memphis's ad hoc group, the Beale Streeters, with Bobby 'Blue' Bland and B. B. King.  Ike Turner signed him to Modern Records label where he came to the attention of Sam Phillips. He had a string of hits before his death on Nov. 18, 1971, at age 39, during surgery for a brain tumor.