Meet Frankie Parker of Chicago

Today we’d like to introduce you to Frankie Parker.

Hi Frankie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born on an army base in Moreno Valley, California, but I’m Chicago all day! My mom and dad say that I was intrigued with music since I was a toddler. I have photos that my dad took of me while I was picking records from his vinyl collection. By 5, I was singing in my home church choir, Mt, Moriah M.B. Church, in Harvey, IL (s/o to my HARVEYWORLD Family) and had already joined a community choir, of which I was the only child member. I was fortunate enough to study under ministers of music and singers, who were afforded the opportunity to travel all over the world singing gospel music. My first paid gig was at the House of Blues Chicago, as a background singer at the age of 15. I caught the bug, and kept going! I eventually enrolled at Columbia College as a vocal performance major. I didn’t finish there, but I met a ton of people who initiated my music network in my artisty. Eventually, I dropped out and signed with my first label, Gothic Soul Entertainment. I left them and signed with a management team, Emblazon Entertainment, of whom I released my Freshmen project, “Breezy”. I am now an independent artist who affiliates with Soulistic 360; let’s just say I’m an adopted sibling of the company…I self-released my sophomore project, “Breathe”. My single from the project, “Rita”, was #1 for 3 weeks on the Urban Influencers Chart in the UK and stayed on the chart for 9 weeks. I recently opened for Erykah Badu at the Emancipation Ball, sponsored by Moor’s Beer, a black-owned brewery based out of Chicago. I am the longest running resident at the Bassment, which is the top live performance club in Chicago. I’ve opened for R&B artists, Joe, Montell Jordan, Shai and Slique Jay Adams. I’ve performed the national anthem for the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Sky. I’ll be performing the anthem for the Chicago Bears on October 4, 2026.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been rewarding because it hasn’t always been easy. Chicago has a large music scene, and the competition is vast. Just developing my aesthetic and remaining true to myself has been a challenge in intself. Monetarily, when you’re an independent artist with a middle class income, it’s not easy funding an independent music career and keeping up with marketing and advertising budgets that major labels provide to their artists. I have to really work hard to be seen, and when I’m seen, I work even harder to leave a standing impression, which is why I work so hard on stage. From a wellness standpoint, the hardest obstacle I’ve encountered was conquering stage 2 breast cancer while flourishing in my music career. Prior to my diagnosis, I began working on “Breathe” but wasn’t consistent with studio sessions because live performance took priority; at one point, I was working 41 weeks a year. When I was forced to leave the stage and face chemo, radiation, and 2 surgeries, I filled the void of losing my stage life with recording more frequently. “Breathe” started before chemo and was finished during recovery. Lastly, I would say that I sacrificed a lot of family life and time -in particular, my time with my ex-husband and son, while in pursuit of a full-time music career. I have some regrets about that, but the sacrifice was worth it because now, my son is pursuing a career in music production. He will benefit from all of my hard work. His dad and I divorced, but I must say, we’ve worked hard to be great co-parents.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am Frankie Parker: singer, songwriter, producer, and bandleader. I love writing songs for myself and others. 95% of my projects were self-written. I love coming up with stories and clever lines. I love having to explain why certain lines were written in my songs. My strong suit is my stage performance. I consider myself a show-stopper. I’m the girl you call on when the tip jar is low, and the crowds needs to be motivated to empty their pockets. I like to say I’m a mix of Millie Jackson, Badu, Betty Davis, and O.G. Franx aka the Orginal Frankie aka my grandmother, the ultimate hustler. I am vulnerable, but I’m also an in-your-face performer. I love to make people laugh. I love to share my wisdom. I enjoy becoming a fixed memory in the minds of my audience. I run a cover band, so my work has influenced my multi-genre approach in my projects. “Breathe” has a rock song, “Jackie Brown”, which is an homage to Betty and Badu. My title single’s sound is reggae influenced; “Breathe” is also an inspirational song for survivors of all kind. Then, there’s “Nothin’ You Can Do About It”, which is a fun pop song. I don’t want to put myself in a box EVER.

What were you like growing up?
I was always a talkative busy-body; hell, I still can’t keep still. I am the oldest child and grand child on both sides of my family, so I’m spoiled rotten and the boss of the family; this is a role I solidfied from childhood. My parents and grandparents say that I was a ham. As a child, OG Franx aka Nana, enrolled my sister and cousins and me into ballet, tumbling and tap classes. I took this work seriously, and the recitals were EVERYTHING to me: from the routines to the costumes. I am not the dancer of the family by far, but you couldn’t tell me that when I was on that stage! I was going to stand out! As a tween/ teen, I played basketball and was REALLY good; I played shooting guard and small forward. I just knew I was going to be the first female Bulls player. Little did I know that my vision was close to my reality in the future, as I would wind up in center court at the United Center- not playing basketball, but singning the anthem and performing halftime shows with my band. I was a smart student- even as a ditch queen in high school. I was also the odd-ball kid, crimping my hair with mousse and wearing suede, 70s style coats that I found at the thrift store. I was the church kid, who HAD to sing EVERY Sunday and begged to sing in the young adult choir because the youth choir was too easy.

Pricing:

• $35 – Vinyl Copy of “Breathe”
• $2 New single on Bandcamp- “The Girl is Badd”
• Negotiable Rates for Corporate/ Private Events

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.frankieparkermusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundsofrankiep/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankiebreezyparker/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@frankiebreezyparker