Ian Parker is a Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 keyboard player.

He showed a natural ability to play the piano from a very early age. He started piano lessons when he was seven. His early influences were The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

, The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...

, Stax

Stax

Stax can refer to:* StAX, Streaming API for XML. An API for reading and writing XML in Java.* Stax Earspeakers, a Japanese brand of electrostatic earspeakers* Stax Records, an American record company...

 and Atlantic Soul. In 1969 he played in the school rock band "Timor Mortis" playing covers of such artistes as Deep Purple

Deep Purple

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...

, Cream

Cream (band)

Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...

 and Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...

. Other members of the band were Andy Baird vocals, Alan Aitken guitar, Davie Stafford bass and Ian 'Mub' McKinnon drums. This led to him forming a gigging band, 'Duck', playing clubs and pubs. Its members were Alan Aitken, Mub McKinnon, and Leo Bingham, bass and vocals.

He attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama

Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a conservatoire of music, drama, and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, it is the busiest performing arts venue in Scotland...

 in Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 between 1972–1975 and obtained D.R.S.A.M. qualifications. He then moved down to London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 where he played with the house band at the Hammersmith Palais

Hammersmith Palais

The Hammersmith Palais de Danse, later simply the Hammersmith Palais, was a ballroom and entertainment venue in London that operated from 1919 until 2007...

. This led to him joining the Tom Robinson Band

Tom Robinson Band

Tom Robinson Band were a British rock band, established in 1976 by singer, songwriter and bassist Tom Robinson...

, recording the album TRB Two

TRB Two

TRB Two is the second studio album by Tom Robinson Band. It was recorded days after the original drummer, Dolphin Taylor, had left the band. The TRB disbanded four months after the release. Steve Ridgeway was responsible for the cover design. The album was dedicated to Mrs. Mary Towers, the mother...

and touring the UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 and Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

In the late eighties he joined Clannad recording the albums Past Present

Past Present

The video for Past Present is still widely available online, although has not been republished by the record companies involved. Rumours have been brought to the forefront on a possible DVD release, although no evidence has been shown to prove the foundations of these.-Scenes:# Almost Seems –...

, Anam

Anam (album)

Anam is an album by Clannad which was originally released in 1990.-Track listing:# "Rí Na Cruinne" – 4:03# "Anam" – 4:03# "In Fortune's Hand" – 3:55...

, Banba

Banba

In Irish mythology, Banba daughter of Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, is the patron goddess of Ireland....

, Lore

Lore (album)

Lore is a studio album by the Irish group Clannad. It was re-issued in 2005 with the Cantoma mix bonus track of "Croí Cróga". Lore was greeted with great acclaim by music critics worldwide, often stating that this was one of Clannad's greatest recordings...

and Landmarks.

The early nineties saw him touring with the likes of Elkie Brooks

Elkie Brooks

Elkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...

, Killing Joke

Killing Joke

Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...

 and Joan Armatrading

Joan Armatrading

Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, MBE is a British singer, songwriter and guitarist. Armatrading is a three-time Grammy Award-nominee and has been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist...

, and this was also the time he joined The Hollies

The Hollies

The Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s...

 for whom he still plays keyboard.

During 1994 and 1995 he recorded a solo album, Count the Waves.