Lee Parker & The Sharps at the Bethel Grange Hall - Photo Courtesy of Jeff Miller
Photo Courtesy of Jeff Miller
Lee Parker & The Sharps
Washington
Circa 1958 -1960

Members
 

James Adams ~ Drums
Anthony Atherton ~ Saxophone
Robert Green ~ Piano
Roy Hawkins ~ Piano
Jim MacIntyre ~ Bass
Norman McVeigh ~ Guitar
Bud Osgood ~ Drums
Lee Parker ~ Guitar, Vocals (1942 - 2010)
Danny Peterson ~ Saxophone
Keith Shoemaker ~ Saxophone
Ranleigh "Butch"" Snipes ~ Bass
Larry Stewart ~ Saxophone
Don Swanlund ~ Steel Guitar
Art Welle ~ Piano
 

The sax player on the right side of the picture is the janitor and it was a gag shot.

Norm McVeigh & Chuck Wood, March 2003

I am looking for people who knew Bud Osgood  I did a google on an old friend and bandmate of mine from our Air Force band days in the mid-60's, Bud Osgood, and was distressed to see him listed as "in memory of". I would like to hear about Bud from someone who knew him before and after this period.   We were both young drummers at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas.

Contact Chuck Murray at  cblakelym2@msn.com  (3/9/08)

There were  several other members of the Sharps that did not get mentioned on the Web page - There also was Danny Peterson / tenor sax, Larry Stewart / tenor sax, Art Welle / piano, James Adams / drums, Jim MacIntyre / bass, Ranleigh "Butch"" Snipes /bass , Roy Hawkins / piano and Robert Green / piano - I believe that's it - if I left anybody out I appologize and am open to corrections if there are any.

Lee Parker, April 2008



Correction re:  the Filipino gentlemen in the picture is not "the janitor" He is or was a good friend of my family's, Macario "Mike" Gerbacio  - no reflection on Norm's entry as I'm sure it was a joke - your's again sincerely

Lee Parker, April 2008



Anthony Atherton, tenor sax, was and is a close friend and I lived with Anthony at his parents home in Seattle between 1959 and 1962.

During the same time period I played with the Continentals (the second picture down on their web page shows me playing bass), the Centuries and filled in for the Dave Lewis Combo, the Wailers, the Statics and the Gallahads when Tiny Tony was a member.

Lee Parker, April 2008

In Memory of

Bud Osgood
Lee Parker (25 April 1942 - 19 June 2010)
Don Swanlund


Lee Parker  (1942 - 2010)

Allyn Lee Parker, 68, lost his long battle with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) on Saturday, June 19, 2010. Lee was born April 25, 1942 at the old Harrison Hospital in Bremerton to Asbery Mixon "Lee" Parker and Evelyn "Sheets" Parker. Lee was raised in Port Orchard and attended local schools. He was always interested in music and got his first guitar at age 10.

Many of you knew Lee through his music and the bands he formed, sang and played with when you were still teenagers here in Kitsap County. He never lost his love of music and after he could no longer sing and play his guitar commercially because of the COPD, he went back to school at Seattle University, received his BS in Psychology and worked as a substance abuse counselor in the Vancouver/Portland area for the past 20 years. He was very good at it! Lee often incorporated his musical talents into his counseling, writing parodies to old songs and singing them to his group session attendees to get his points across. It was quite effective. He made a difference in many troubled peoples' lives, showing them an alternative to their current lifestyle.

Lee was preceded in death by his father and daughter Carmen and first wife Janet (Story) Parker.

Lee met his wife of 13 years, Pat, an RN in the Vancouver area. Pat has two grown children, Emily (Jeff Axman) Matza and Adam Matza and one grandson, Isaac Axman, who Lee was as crazy about as he was his own three college age grandchildren, Scott, Zachery and Nicole Parker and his son Charlie Parker and wife Carmen all who live in Kitsap County. Charlie has his own band, Skinny Charles, in which he sings and plays the guitar just like his dad. His granddaughter Nicole and grandson Zak are equally as talented singers and Zak plays the guitar as well.

Lee is also survived by his mother, Evelyn J. Parker of Bremerton, two sisters, Lynda Brooks of Gig Harbor, Holly Parker Harden of Port Orchard, nine nieces and nephews, 11 great nieces and nephews and 13 first cousins.

Lee was a great son, brother, husband, father and grandfather and his presence will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

At his request, there will be no formal memorial. However, if you still live in the area and can remember back to the 50's and 60's when Lee first started his music career here in Kitsap County, please contact his sister Holly either by email at hparkerharden@wavecable.com or by phone at 360-895-3181. A private memorial in Lee's honor will be held at Holly and her husband Larry Harden's home on Sunday, July 11. There will be photos of Lee's music career dating back to his first band, The Sharps. Others will remember later bands such as Joe Faker and Little Bill and the Blue Notes. You are welcome to come share your memories with his family of the "Good old days" or your personal memories of Lee's music in your youth. You might remember the dances Lee played for all over the county in the 50's and 60's. To refresh some of your senior memories, there was Perl Maurer's of course plus every dance hall at County lakes from up north at Lamola, Island Lake and south to Horseshoe Lake. They all had dance halls and Lee's bands played at all of them. Before that was the old Bethel School House and the Bethel Grange and after that was the Armory on Mile Hill then later the Eagles and Bay Street Bowery. Lee and various bands later played all over the Seattle/Tacoma area and he received the Blues Master award a few years back at The Swiss Pub in downtown Tacoma. To those of you who knew Lee, thank you for being in his life. An RSVP is requested if you plan to attend the private memorial.

Obituary provided courtesy of Pat Hubbard (Parker)


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Last Update: 2 August 2011
Credits: Jeff Miller, Darryl Riffero, Frank Osgood, Chuck Wood, Norm McVeigh, Lee Parker, Pat Hubbard (Parker)
Band # 627<>