Parks was member of The North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Cher in 1970. In 1980, Parks was a founding member of the Jazz Fusion band Koinonia . Parks is best known for his many contributions to albums by Steely Dan and Michael Jackson . Notably, he played guitar on the Royal Scam track "Haitian Divorce", which features a Talkbox. He has performed with Joan Baez , Alexander O'Neal, Crosby and Nash, Madonna, Stevie Wonder , Barbra Streisand , Roberto Carlos , Elton John , Celine Dion , The Monkees, Madeleine Peyroux , America , Diana Ross , George Benson , Rod Stewart , Randy Travis , Bob Seger , Billy Joel , Neil Diamond , Michael Bublé, Barry Manilow , David Lee Roth , Paul Simon , Dolly Parton , Amanda Lear , Kenny Loggins , Tom Scott , B.B. King, Dusty Springfield , Randy Edelman , Leon Gieco, Koinonia, Johnny Rivers , Johnny Hallyday , Randy Newman , Joe Cocker , The Gypsy Queens and Bread . Also a long time Collaborator on David Foster albums.
Parks features on Cat Beach's albums Letting Go and Love Me Out Loud . In 2008, Parks participated in the production of the album Psalngs , the debut release of Canadian musician John Lefebvre .
Dean Parks is very prominently featured on Viktor Krauss ' album II (2007), where he plays a plethora of other stringed instruments in addition to electric and acoustic guitars.
During the late 1970s, Parks teamed up with Bread for their "Lost Without Your Love " reunion tour, taking on the responsibilities of lead guitarist. Following the departure of founding member Jimmy Griffin, Parks then became the 'unofficial' fourth member for the duration of the 1977/78 tours, including the visit to England to record a BBC TV special. He also continued the role when Bread's co-founder, David Gates , put together his own solo touring band shortly afterwards. In the spring of 2005 he joined David Crosby and Graham Nash on their European tour, as well as their U.S. tours in fall 2007, fall 2008, and spring 2011. In April of 2017 Parks joined James Taylor's band while Taylor recovered from a broken finger.
Parks has written songs and music for films such as The Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation (with Carol Parks ), Bowfinger , My Big Fat Greek Wedding , The Big Bounce , and Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story .
He was married to fellow musician Carol Parks.
With America
1980 Alibi 1982 View from the Ground 1984 Perspective With Bobby Bland
1969 Spotlighting the Man 1973 His California Album 1974 Dreamer
With Chris Botti
1999 Slowing Down the World 2003 A Thousand Kisses Deep 2004 When I Fall in Love 2005 To Love Again: The Duets 2007 Italia With Michael Bublé
2005 It's Time 2006 With Love 2007 Call Me Irresponsible 2003 Michael Bublé 2009 Crazy Love With T Bone Burnett
1972 The B-52 Band & the Fabulous Skylarks 1992 The Criminal Under My Own Hat With Joe Cocker
1984 Civilized Man 1996 Organic 1997 Across from Midnight 2004 Heart & Soul With Andraé Crouch
1975 Take Me Back 1979 I'll Be Thinking of You 1981 Don't Give Up
With Rita Coolidge
1974 Fall into Spring 1975 It's Only Love 1979 Satisfied 1981 Heartbreak Radio 1996 Out of the Blues With The Crusaders
1976 Free as the Wind 1978 Images 1980 Rhapsody and Blues 1980 Standing Tall 1984 Ghetto Blaster 1986 The Good and the Bad Times 2003 Rural Renewal With Julia Fordham
1991 Swept 2002 Concrete Love 2004 That's Life 2005 That's Live With Kenny Loggins
1977 Celebrate Me Home 1991 Leap of Faith 1994 Return to Pooh Corner 1997 The Unimaginable Life 2000 More Songs from Pooh Corner With Lyle Lovett
1992 Joshua Judges Ruth 1996 The Road to Ensenada 1998 Step Inside This House 2003 My Baby Don't Tolerate 2003 Smile 2007 It's Not Big It's Large 2009 Natural Forces 2012 Release Me
With The Manhattan Transfer
1979 Extensions 1981 Mecca for Moderns 1995 Tonin' With Aaron Neville
1991 Warm Your Heart 1993 The Grand Tour 1995 The Tattooed Heart 1997 ...To Make Me Who I Am 2000 Devotion 2003 Believe 2005 Gospel Roots With Madeleine Peyroux
2004 Careless Love 2006 Half the Perfect World 2009 Bare Bones 2013 The Blue Room With Rebecca Pidgeon
2005 Tough on Crime 2008 Behind the Velvet Curtain: Songs from the Motion Picture Redbelt 2012 Slingshot With Joe Sample
1978 Rainbow Seeker 1979 Carmel 1980 Voices in the Rain 1982 The Hunter 1983 Roles 1985 Oasis 1995 Old Places Old Faces 1997 Sample This 2002 The Pecan Tree
With Steely Dan
1974 Pretzel Logic 1975 Katy Lied 1976 The Royal Scam 1977 Aja 2000 Two Against Nature With others
1973 Let's Get It On , Marvin Gaye 1973 Piano Man , Billy Joel 1976 Songs in the Key of Life , Stevie Wonder 1977 El Mirage , Jimmy Webb 1980 Inherit the Wind , Wilton Felder 1981 Pirates , Rickie Lee Jones 1981 The Right Place , Gary Wright 1981 Breakin Away , Al Jarreau 1982 Daylight Again , Crosby, Stills, & Nash 1982 If That's What It Takes , McDonald 1982 Shadows , Gordon Lightfoot 1982 The Nightfly , Donald Fagen 1982 Thriller , Michael Jackson 1983 Hearts and Bones , Paul Simon 1983 Hello Big Man , Carly Simon 1983 The Wild Heart , Stevie Nicks 1983 Trouble in Paradise , Randy Newman 1985 Stay Tuned , Chet Atkins 1986 Rapture , Anita Baker 1986 The Bridge , Billy Joel 1987 Famous Blue Raincoat , Jennifer Warnes 1988 Nothing but the Truth , Ruben Blades 1989 On Solid Ground , Larry Carlton 1989 Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind , Linda Ronstadt 1990 If There Was a Way , Dwight Yoakam 1994 11 Tracks of Whack , Walter Becker 1996 Ten Easy Pieces , Jimmy Webb 1997 Dark Dear Heart , Holly Cole 1997 Three Chords and the Truth , Sara Evans 1998 Talk on Corners , The Corrs 1999 D'Lectrified , Clint Black 1999 Fade into Light , Boz Scaggs 1999 Smokin' Section , Tom Scott 2000 Friends for Schuur , Diane Schuur 2000 Simply Dusty , Dusty Springfield 2000 The Dreams of Johnny Mercer , Monica Mancini 2001 The Well , Jennifer Warnes 2002 No Stranger to Shame , Uncle Kracker 2002 Spirit World , Stephen Bruton 2003 Closer , Josh Groban 2004 Lazy Afternoon , Regina Belle 2004 Melancolista , Adam Cohen 2004 Nightcap , Marilyn Scott 2004 Renee Olstead , Renee Olstead 2004 What a Wonderful World , LeAnn Rimes 2005 80 , B.B. King 2005 Feels Like Home , Sara Evans 2006 Amore , Andrea Bocelli 2006 Jazz Academy , Michael Brecker 2006 Oceana , Till Brönner 2007 Courage , Paula Cole 2007 II , Viktor Krauss 2007 River: The Joni Letters , Herbie Hancock 2008 Circus Money , Walter Becker 2008 Just a Little Lovin' , Shelby Lynne 2009 At Last , Lynda Carter 2009 Believe , Katherine Jenkins 2009 Bounce Back , The 3DVB's/Creed Bratton 2009 I've Loved These Days , Monica Mancini 2009 If on a Winter's Night , Sting 2009 Skylark , Renee Olstead 2009 Soulbook , Rod Stewart 2009 Speak Love , Courtney Fortune 2010 Bring Me to Life , Katherine Jenkins 2010 The Imagine Project , Herbie Hancock 2010 The Secret Sisters , The Secret Sisters 2011 Sound Advice , Patti Austin 2013 Love in Portofino , Andrea Bocelli 2013 Spitfire , LeAnn Rimes 2014 Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro , Billy Childs 2015 Currency of Man , Melody Gardot 2015 Freedom & Surrender , Lizz Wright 2015 No Pier Pressure , Brian Wilson 2015 On Purpose , Clint Black 2015 Tenderness , J.D. Souther 2015 Wallflower , Diana Krall 2016 Down to My Last Bad Habit , Vince Gill 2016 Fire on the Floor , Beth Hart 2016 Short Stories , Dominick Farinacci 2016 This Girl's in Love , Rumer 2016 Fallen Angels , Bob Dylan 2017 Triplicate , Bob Dylan