John Parr

{{Infobox musical artist

| image = John Parr - 2023141132145 2023-05-21 ZDF-Fernsehgarten - Sven - 1D X MK II - 1926 - B70I9349.jpg

| name = John Parr

| caption = Parr performing in 2023

| image_size = 232

| background = solo_singer

| birth_name = John Stephen Parr

| alias =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|11|18|df=yes}}[http://search.findmypast.co.uk/results/world-records/england-and-wales-births-1837-2006?firstname=john%20s&20s&lastname=parr&eventyear=1952&eventyear_offset=0&district=worksop&county=nottinghamshire Search Results for England & Wales Births 1837–2006], Findmypast.co.uk

| birth_place = Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England

| death_date =

| origin = Sherwood Forest, England

| instruments = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|bass guitar|piano|keyboards}}

| genre = Rock

| occupations = {{hlist|Singer-songwriter|musician}}

| years_active = 1964–present

| label =

| website = {{url|http://www.johnparr.net/}}

}}

John Stephen Parr (born 18 November 1952) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter, best known for his 1985 single "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" for the 1985 movie St. Elmo's Fire, charting at No.1 in the US and No.6 in the UK, and for his 1984 US No.6 rock single "Naughty Naughty".{{cite magazine |author=Linda Moleski |title=John Parr, a man in motion, has new LP|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tiQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34|date=27 December 1986|magazine=Billboard|page=34|issn=0006-2510}} He has written and performed ten major motion picture theme songs, including the themes for Three Men and a Baby and The Running Man. Parr was nominated for a Grammy award for "St. Elmo's Fire" in 1985.{{Cite magazine|url=https://newsfeed.time.com/2012/01/11/john-parr-updates-st-elmos-fire-theme-song-for-tim-tebow/|title=John Parr Updates St. Elmo's Fire Theme Song for Tim Tebow|first=Glen|last=Levy|magazine=Time |date=11 January 2012 |publisher=Time|access-date=7 November 2019}}

Career

"Naughty Naughty" was Parr's first US Top 40 hit record, reaching No.23 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985. In 1985, Parr toured with his band "The Business" supporting Toto, his first show with Toto at Carowinds Paladium (Charlotte, North Carolina), and playing 10,000-seat venues across America.{{Cite web|url=http://www.scunthorpetelegraph.co.uk/Rocker-John-s-ready-Parr-ty-Westwoodside/story-20449007-detail/story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122074145/http://www.scunthorpetelegraph.co.uk/Rocker-John-s-ready-Parr-ty-Westwoodside/story-20449007-detail/story.html|url-status=dead|title=St Elmo's Fire musician John Parr performing in Westwoodside this weekend|archive-date=22 January 2014}} By the end of the tour, David Foster asked Parr to record a song for the film St. Elmo's Fire. Parr and Foster wrote "St. Elmo's Fire" in honour of wheelchair athlete and activist Rick Hansen; it became the theme to St. Elmo's Fire{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock |title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music |editor=Colin Larkin |editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer) |publisher=Virgin Books |date=1999|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0257-7|page=340}} (a "Brat Pack" film unrelated to Hansen's life or achievements).{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q7koAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vYYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5536,253871 |title=Rocker Parr propelled by hot 'St. Elmo's Fire' |first=Dennis |last=Hunt |publisher=The Bulletin |date=30 August 1985 |access-date=2 October 2010}}{{cite web |last=N/A |first=Fongolia |title=Fong Songs: Shaved and Confused |url=https://fongsongs.blogspot.com/2009/02/shaved-and-confused.html |website=fongsongs.blogspot.com |publisher=Blogspot |access-date=22 May 2025 |ref=GiletteConcert}}

Parr later wrote "Under a Raging Moon" with Julia Downes for Roger Daltrey, a song that paid tribute to Keith Moon and told the story of the Who.

Parr was soon singing with Marilyn Martin on the song "Through the Night", from the Quicksilver soundtrack (1986). Parr wrote and produced further tracks for Martin's debut album, including the hit "Night Moves". A year later, he wrote and sang the title songs "The Minute I Saw You", from Three Men and a Baby soundtrack, and the power ballad "Restless Heart" (a.k.a. "Running Away with You (Restless Heart)"), from The Running Man soundtrack (this song was re-released on the album Man with a Vision). After the success of Meat Loaf's album, Parr contributed to the next album with the hit duet "Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries".

In 1989, Parr has been involved in the now renowned [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1V%20ZKzTBv4 Gilette Suberbowl commercial] which features a version of his song "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExyiJJn49Zw The Best]". Although some have suggested that Jake Holmes, an American composer, was the author of the song, there is no official documentary evidence confirming this attribution. In a 2008 concert, John Parr introduced it as "a song I wrote for a commercial a long time ago...", emphasizing his direct involvement in its creation.

On 20 July 2007, Parr and his band opened for Bryan Adams at the Keepmoat Stadium in Parr's home town Doncaster.[http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/cV4MXucFw_w "John Parr at Keepmoat stadium Doncaster on 20th July 2007"]. NME. Retrieved 14 November 2012

In 2012, Parr released a revised version of "St. Elmo's Fire" entitled "Tim Tebow's Fire". It included the following lyrics: "You know I’m out there/Down on one knee/A prisoner/And I'm tryin' to break free".

Discography

=Studio albums=

John Parr (1984)
Running the Endless Mile (1986)
Man with a Vision (1992)
Under Parr (1996)
The Mission (2012)

=Live albums=

Letter to America (2011)

=Soundtrack albums=

Paris (1989)

=Singles=

class="wikitable" ! scope="col" rowspan="2" \| Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2" \| Title \| colspan="4" \|Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2" scope="col" \| Album
scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;" \| UK {{cite book \| first= David \| last= Roberts \| year= 2006 \| title= British Hit Singles & Albums \| edition= 19th \| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited \| location= London \| isbn= 1-904994-10-5 \| page= 417}} ! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;" \| US ! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"\| US Rock ! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"\| AUS {{cite book\|last=Kent\|first=David\|author-link=David Kent (historian)\|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992\|edition=illustrated\|publisher=Australian Chart Book\|location=St Ives, N.S.W.\|year=1993\|isbn=0-646-11917-6\|page=229}}
1984 \| "Naughty Naughty" \| style="text-align:center;" \|58 \| style="text-align:center;" \|23 \| style="text-align:center;"\|6 \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| rowspan="2"\|John Parr
rowspan="3"\|1985 \| "Magical" \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;" \|73 \| style="text-align:center;"\|28 \| style="text-align:center;"\|—
"St. Elmo's Fire" \| style="text-align:center;" \|6 \| style="text-align:center;" \|1 \| style="text-align:center;"\|2 \| style="text-align:center;"\|4 \| St. Elmo's Fire soundtrack
"Love Grammar" \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;" \|89 \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| rowspan="2"\|John Parr
rowspan="6"\|1986 \| "Don't Leave Your Mark on Me" \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|—
"Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries" (with Meat Loaf) \| style="text-align:center;" \|31 \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| Blind Before I Stop
"Blame It on the Radio" \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;" \|88 \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| rowspan="4"\|Running the Endless Mile
"Two Hearts" \| style="text-align:center;" \|104{{cite magazine \|url=https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-discussion/chart-analysis/11007390-uk-singles-charts-1986-including-chart-panel-sales \|title=Gallup Top 200 Singles \|magazine=Gallup \|date=18 October 1986 \|via=ukmix.org \|access-date=9 December 2022}} \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|—
"Running the Endless Mile" \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|—
"Don't Worry 'Bout Me" \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|—
1988 \| "Restless Heart" \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| The Running Man soundtrack
1990 \| "Always on my Mind" \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| Butterbrot soundtrack
1991 \| "Westward Ho" \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| Go Trabi Go soundtrack
rowspan="2"\|1992 \| "Man with a Vision" \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| rowspan="2"\|Man with a Vision
"It's Startin' All Over Again" \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|—
rowspan="1"\|1994 \| "The River Runs Deep" \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| rowspan="3"\|Under Parr
rowspan="2"\|1996 \| "Size of the Boat" \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|—
"Secrets" \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|—
rowspan="2"\|2006 \| "St. Elmo's Fire" (re-recording) \| style="text-align:center;" \|81{{Cite web\|url=http://zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_P.HTM\|title=Chart Log UK: Rodney P. − The Pussycat Dolls\|website=Zobbel.de\|access-date=7 November 2019}} \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| rowspan="4"\|Non-album single
"New Horizon" (remix of "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" as "John Parr vs. Tommyknockers") \| style="text-align:center;" \|43 \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|—
2007 \| "Walking Out of the Darkness" \| style="text-align:center;" \|155 \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|—
2019 \| "The Minute I Saw You" \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;" \|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|— \| style="text-align:center;"\|—

class="wikitable"

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title

| colspan="4" |Peak chart positions

! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Album

scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;" | UK
{{cite book

| first= David

| last= Roberts

| year= 2006

| title= British Hit Singles & Albums

| edition= 19th

| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited

| location= London

| isbn= 1-904994-10-5

| page= 417}}

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;" | US

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| US Rock

! scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| AUS
{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=229}}

1984

| "Naughty Naughty"

| style="text-align:center;" |58

| style="text-align:center;" |23

| style="text-align:center;"|6

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| rowspan="2"|John Parr

rowspan="3"|1985

| "Magical"

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;" |73

| style="text-align:center;"|28

| style="text-align:center;"|—

"St. Elmo's Fire"

| style="text-align:center;" |6

| style="text-align:center;" |1

| style="text-align:center;"|2

| style="text-align:center;"|4

| St. Elmo's Fire soundtrack

"Love Grammar"

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;" |89

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| rowspan="2"|John Parr

rowspan="6"|1986

| "Don't Leave Your Mark on Me"

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—

"Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries" (with Meat Loaf)

| style="text-align:center;" |31

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| Blind Before I Stop

"Blame It on the Radio"

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;" |88

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| rowspan="4"|Running the Endless Mile

"Two Hearts"

| style="text-align:center;" |104{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-discussion/chart-analysis/11007390-uk-singles-charts-1986-including-chart-panel-sales |title=Gallup Top 200 Singles |magazine=Gallup |date=18 October 1986 |via=ukmix.org |access-date=9 December 2022}}

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—

"Running the Endless Mile"

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—

"Don't Worry 'Bout Me"

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—

1988

| "Restless Heart"

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| The Running Man soundtrack

1990

| "Always on my Mind"

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| Butterbrot soundtrack

1991

| "Westward Ho"

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| Go Trabi Go soundtrack

rowspan="2"|1992

| "Man with a Vision"

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| rowspan="2"|Man with a Vision

"It's Startin' All Over Again"

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—

rowspan="1"|1994

| "The River Runs Deep"

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| rowspan="3"|Under Parr

rowspan="2"|1996

| "Size of the Boat"

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—

"Secrets"

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—

rowspan="2"|2006

| "St. Elmo's Fire" (re-recording)

| style="text-align:center;" |81{{Cite web|url=http://zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_P.HTM|title=Chart Log UK: Rodney P. − The Pussycat Dolls|website=Zobbel.de|access-date=7 November 2019}}

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| rowspan="4"|Non-album single

"New Horizon"
(remix of "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" as "John Parr vs. Tommyknockers")

| style="text-align:center;" |43

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—

2007

| "Walking Out of the Darkness"

| style="text-align:center;" |155

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;"|—