From petrol pump attendant to Dylan-feted rocker: the unlikely career of Graham Parker

British singer-songwriter Graham Parker played his first show with his backing band the Rumour in October 1975, at a small pub in south-east London. Within months he had a record deal and was recording his debut album, Howlin' Wind. Interest was so intense that stars such as Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott dropped by the sessions, curious to hear the former petrol pump attendant from Surrey who had been writing sharp, literate songs between shifts.

After Howlin' Wind arrived in April 1976, followed by Heat Treatment that October, Parker's profile grew rapidly. At one festival topped by Bob Dylan, Dylan himself sought him out backstage to praise his work. A photo also exists of Parker meeting Michael Jackson in Los Angeles, though he recalls the exchange being brief and awkward.

A career built on going against expectations

Despite predictions he would become a major star, Parker never quite reached that level of fame, instead building a nearly 50-year career as a critically respected cult artist across 47 albums. In the late 1970s he ended his relationship with record label Mercury by releasing a scathing song about the split. Later, when Atlantic Records suggested he sound more like Phil Collins, he deliberately recorded an album that stood apart from mainstream 1980s rock.

In 2012, director Judd Apatow, a longtime fan, invited Parker to play himself in the film This Is 40. The Hollywood experience, including first-class travel and upscale hotels, was unexpected but one he embraced for a while.

Parker says the brush with real stardom was ultimately unpleasant, and he deliberately asked to be paid less by record labels to avoid pressure to chase commercial success. He continues to prefer small-scale, solo performances and is currently on tour in the UK.