Al Parker was a gay

Gay

Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....

 American pornographic actor

Pornographic actor

A pornographic actor/actress or a porn star is a person who appears in pornographic film. Most actors appear nude in films...

 (porn star), producer

Film producer

A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...

, and director

Film director

A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...

. He died from complications of AIDS

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

 at the age of 40.

Early career

After arriving in California, Parker was employed by Hugh Hefner

Hugh Hefner

Hugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...

 at the Playboy Mansion West

Playboy Mansion

The Playboy Mansion is the home of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner. Located in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, California, the mansion became famous during the 1970s through media reports of Hefner's lavish parties.-History:The house is described as being in the "Gothic-Tudor" style...

 as a butler. Parker's career in gay film started when he was "discovered" by Rip Colt, founder of Colt Studios. It was Colt who gave him the name "Al Parker"

Parker began his film making career when he was signed by
Brentwood Studios. He made 12-15 minute loop films shot on 8 mm film reels.
He has the distinction of appearing as one of the crowd on the original Woodstock

Woodstock (film)

Woodstock is a 1970 American documentary on the Woodstock Festival that took place in August 1969 at Bethel in New York. Entertainment Weekly called this film the benchmark of concert movies and one of the most entertaining documentaries ever made...

movie poster.

Surge Studios

Parker was a producer

Film producer

A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...

, director

Film director

A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...

 and actor. Surge Studios started making larger budget "theme" features and not just the "film loops." Many of the films were shot out of Parker's home in Hermosa Beach, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. Surge Studios was one of the first studios to mandate safe sex practices when AIDS appeared.

Personal life

Parker is the subject of Roger Edmonson's biography Clone: The Life and Legacy of Al Parker Gay Superstar. Parker's remains were cremated and a memorial service was held at his private residence.

Selected videography

• The Best Of Al Parker (2008)
• Overload (1992)
• The Best of Colt Films: Part 10 (1991)
• Better Than Ever (1989)
• Best of Brentwood 1 (1987)
• Turbo Charge (1987)
• The Best of Colt: Part 4 (1986)
• Oversize Load (1986)
• High Tech (1986)
• Daddies Plaything (1985)
• Century Mining (1985)
• Hard Disk Drive (1985)
• Outrage (1984):aka Christopher Rage's Outrage (US)
• Headtrips (1984)
• One in a Billion (1984)
• Rangers (1984)
• Strange Places, Strange Things (1984)
• Therapy (1983)
• Weekend Lockup (1983)
• Dangerous (1983)
• A Few Good Men (1983)
• Games (1983)
• The Other Side of Aspen (1983)
• Turned On (1982)
• Flashbacks:aka Al Parker's Flashback (1981)
• Wanted (1980)
• Inches (1979)
• Best of Buckshot (Compilations) Chute, Timberwolves
• Heavy Equipment (1977) (This movie was shot in 3-D)

See also

• List of male performers in gay porn films
• Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards (Grabbys)
• Grabby recipients
  Grabby recipients
  This is a listing of the winners of the Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards . The awards are given annually by Gay Chicago Magazine and were first given in 1991; the first live awards ceremony was in 1999 and presented awards for work done in 1998.-----1992: [Top]-----1993: [Top]-----1994:...
  
  
• Discontinued gay pornography awards
  Discontinued gay pornography awards
  The following are awards for gay pornography including ones that are no longer given. The list is organized by award and by year for each award.-GayVN Awards:The GAYVN Awards are presented annually to honor work done in the gay pornography industry...
  
  
• Gay Erotic Video Awards
  Gay Erotic Video Awards
  The Gay Erotic Video Awards were awarded annually for gay and bisexual pornography by the Gay Video Guide , a pocket-sized newsstand magazine that catered primarily to fans...
  
  
• GayVN Awards
  GayVN Awards
  The GAYVN Awards are presented annually to honor work done in the gay pornography industry. The awards are sponsored by AVN Magazine, the parent publication of GAYVN Magazine, and continue the recognition for gay pornography which was part of the AVN Awards from 1986–1998.The award recipients...
  
  
• List of gay porn movie studios
• List of gay porn magazines

External links

• Review of a Clone: The Life and Legacy of Al Parker