By Skyler Cooper
Longtime Tulsa radio disc jockey Billy Parker has died at the age of 88.
Parker was a mainstay on KVOO radio, but was also a country music performer and hosted The Billy Parker Show on Tulsa 23 TV, now FOX23.
Parker was born on July 19, 1939, in Okemah and began playing music at a young age, making his professional debut on the Big Red Jamboree, a Tulsa radio program.
He earned numerous awards for his work over the years, according to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.
“Over a remarkable career, he earned Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music Disc Jockey of the Year honors five times during the 1970s and 1980s, a testament to his talent, warmth, and lasting impact on the industry. In 1992, he was inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame.” Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame posted on social media.
Parker received the Country Personality Award from the International Gospel Music Association for his gospel album I’ll Speak Out for You, Jesus in 1990. He was also inducted into the Western Swing Hall of Fame in 1993, the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995 and the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
Tributes from friends and colleagues poured onto social media upon word of Parker’s passing, including from KVOO colleague Sunny Leigh. now with FOX23.
