Well my mom and my great aunt Mary B. Taylor said I, Eric Parker, was going to be a great drummer. I guess I got it from my dad, I have never seen him go in on a kit before, but I’ve seen pictures of him playing. At the age of 3, I was beating on pots & pans on the kitchen floor. Even though it was loud, my family said t wasn’t noise I was making; I actually was making my own beat. Never played on a drum set at that time, always watched other drummers play. Sitting on the front row at church playing drums in the air.
Around the age of 7 is when I experienced playing on the drums. A drummer was running late and I joined in with the choir on the drums, and I have been playing since! That’s when I fell in love & been committed to play the drums. I started playing for True Way, St. John, Mt. Tabor, Denbigh Christian Center, & Faith Temple which are all COGIC churches. Those where my time when I played on Sundays & at choir rehearsals. Then I started playing for Pastor now Bishop Levi Willis, II at Good News Family Worship Center COGIC & also for His Father the Late General Board Bishop of the Churches of God in Christ the Honorable Bishop Levi E. Willis, Sr. of the Garden of Prayer COGIC. I have played at several workers conferences & Convocations under the 2nd & 3rd Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions of VA of the COGIC.
My good friend & Mentor Y. P. Lilliston worked with me to develop me to have a tighter & heavier pocket on the drums. I started playing for Jimmell Roberts & Divine Purpose Crusade Chorale after feeling in for his drummer one Sunday. After that, I started playing for Rising Sun Baptist for 3yrs with Andre Billups. Now I play for Pastor Melrick Bogier of the Virginia Beach Worship Center that’s where I currently attend as far as my church. I am one of the founding members of Elder Larry Moore & Grateful since it began in Nov. 2008. I would like to thank my good friends who mentored me; Ron Braxton, Kentric Morris, Andre Billups, & J.P. Lilliston. Outside of church, I have played for Reggae Artist Lady Impress & Rock group RAH Element. I started playing with Soultone Cymbals in 2010 & have been in love with them ever since. I first heard of Soultone Cymbals about 2 yrs ago when I heard one of my mentors Chris Jernigan play with them. While he was playing the crispness of the sound the Cymbals made, just made me want to get at them! The more I played with them, the more I fell in love with them. That’s when I knew I just had to be a part of the Soultone family.
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Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/ericediddyparkerdrummer
Website: www.ELMandGrateful.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM55TAzJgcY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwSFd44RcVA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiDUY6-rAyw