Rick Parfitt
Richard John Parfitt, OBE (born 12 October 1948) is an English musician, best known for being a singer and rhythm guitarist in the rock band Status Quo.
Early life
Parfitt was born in Woking, Surrey on 12 October 1948. His father was an insurance salesman "who was a drinker and a gambler" and his mother worked in cake shops. He has described his upbringing as "wonderful", and has described his childhood self as a "typical naughty boy". Parfitt first learned to play the guitar at the age of 11.
Career
Early career
While playing guitar and singing in "The Feathers" pub on Goodge Street in London, Parfitt's father was approached by an agent from Sunshine Holiday Camp on Hayling Island, who gave Parfitt a performing job. At Sunshine, Parfitt joined Jean and Gloria Harrison - performing at the time as the double act "The Harrison Twins" - to form a cabaret trio called "The Highlights". Following the season, the Harrison Twins' manager Joe Cohen, one of the Keystone Cops, arranged for The Highlights to perform at Butlins in Minehead. It was at Butlins that Parfitt met future Status Quo partner Francis Rossi, who was playing with Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan in a band called "The Spectres" (soon to be renamed "Traffic Jam") - a forerunner to "Quo". After becoming friends with the band, their manager Pat Barlow invited Parfitt to join the group as they needed another singer.
