LISTEN: Drew Parker Duets With His Wife, Mallory, On ‘King Of Country Music’
The song will be featured on Parker’s forthcoming EP.
Drew Parker With Wife, Mallory; Photo Courtesy Drew Parker
Drew Parker enlisted his queen, aka his wife, Mallory, to join him in the studio to record his first-ever duet, “King of Country Music.”
After a bit of convincing, Mallory agreed to lend her vocals to the stunning harmonies of the song written by Allen Shamblin and Marc Beeson. Fittingly recorded on Valentine’s Day, “King of Country Music” serves as a romantic tribute to Parker’s other half for sticking around through every point of his musical journey.
“My name on a song with you…what is this life?! I am so thankful for you and all that you do! I feel so honored that you asked me to be a part of this… I love you,” Mallory wrote on social media.
Husband And Wife Duet
A tender guitar lick opens the song before the Warner Music Nashville rising artist begins to illustrate how much support he’s felt from his wife over the years. Once the heartwarming chorus hits, Mallory joins in, letting their voices dance together as effortlessly as their love for one another.
They sing, “He works the first shift / he drives a forklift / She’s like God’s gift to a working stiff / Would quit without his one believer / Never, she’ll never let him give up on his dreams / Here’s to the queen who loves her King of country music.”
With how closely Parker relates to “King of Country Music,” it’s no surprise that he claims it to be possibly his favorite song he has ever recorded. He went on to share that the pair first met during one of his shows in a local bar of his hometown.
“It was her first time ever stepping in a bar. One week later we went on our first date, and I told her that I had every intention of moving to Nashville to chase a dream that I had,” Parker explained in a press release. “We went on our second date a week later. My motivation and passion for chasing MY dream never scared her off.”
Despite not knowing what the future may hold, Mallory decided to see the relationship through and ride out the rollercoaster together.
He continued, “She has stuck by me when I had absolutely nothing to show for it except a couple hundred dollars from a tip jar. She has stuck by me when I would write songs all day long, then go to work the night shift at the hospital. She has stuck by me while I’ve traveled the entire country while she stayed home and was a single parent many weekends.”
Looking back, Parker now credits much of his success to the woman who never let him give up on his dreams. With this in mind, he’s advising others to find their own partner who will show them the same amount of grace and love as he’s received from Mallory.
“People ask me for advice all the time as to how to make it in the music business and honestly, I don’t usually ever have good advice,” Parker shared. “But I think one very important thing to help along the way is to find a woman who will stand beside you, in front of you, and behind you all along the way while you chase the song. That’s what this song is about to me. In no way form or fashion am I considering myself the ‘King Of Country Music’ with this song, but I am saying I’m the guy who gets to love the girl who has stood by me and been my biggest cheerleader in my career. I would have nothing without her.”
The accompanying music video recreates this pivotal point in their lives, starting with that fateful night in a local bar. The sentimental footage continues with a series of special memories including Mallory telling Parker she was pregnant and then watching him perform at sold-out shows and the Grand Ole Opry stage.
See The Music Video
EP On The Way
“King of Country Music” marks the latest look into the Georgia native’s major label debut EP, At The End Of The Dirt Road, available on June 2.
Produced by Phil O’Donnell and Scott Hendricks, At The End Of The Dirt Road features six tracks including previous releases like “Middle Of Nowhere Class” and the title track as well as three brand-new songs, “She’s On A Roll,” “I’ll Love You Longer” and “My Baby Does.”
The new music follows standalone releases “Raised Up Right” and “Little Miss Saturday Night” and his seven-song standout EP, While You’re Gone.
Drew Parker started off the year on his headlining At The End Of The Dirt Road Tour. Next, he will take the stage of Nashville’s CMA Fest in June before joining Luke Combs overseas on his World Tour through October 20.
For a full list of tour dates, fans can visit Drew Parker’s official website.
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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