Lee Roy Parnell

Lee Roy Parnell
Parnell at the Texas Songwriter's Hall of Fame 2011
Background information
Born	(1956-12-21) December 21, 1956 (age 60)
Origin	Stephenville, Texas, United States
Genres	Blues, Roots, Country
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, Guitarist
Instruments	Vocals, electric guitar, slide guitar, National guitar
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Arista Nashville, Career, Vanguard, Universal South
Associated acts	Ronnie Dunn, Delbert McClinton
Website	www.leeroyparnell.com

Lee Roy Parnell (born December 21, 1956) is an American country music and blues artist, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Active since 1990, he has recorded eight studio albums, and has charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. His highest-charting hits are "What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am" (1992), "Tender Moment" (1993), and "A Little Bit of You" (1995), all of which peaked at No. 2. Four more of his singles have charted in the Top Ten as well. Parnell made a shift in the early 2000s back to the bluesier sounds of his early works, releasing two blues albums on Vanguard Records and Universal South. Besides his own work, Parnell has played slide guitar and National guitar on several other country and blues recordings.

Lee Roy Parnell was born on December 21, 1956 in Abilene, Texas, but raised in Stephenville, Texas. His father had performed with Bob Wills, and Parnell gave his first performance at age six on Wills's radio show. Parnell played guitar and drums in various bands during his teenage years. By 1987, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he signed with the newly formed Arista Nashville two years later.

Parnell released his self-titled debut album for Arista Records in 1990. This album produced three chart singles in "Crocodile Tears", "Oughta Be a Law" and "Family Tree", none of which charted in the Top 40 on the Billboard country charts. A video for "Mexican Money" was created and released, but the song was not released to radio.