As a teenager, Parks was a member of the Jimmy Joyce Children's Choir, performing with Art Linkletter (Kids Say the Darndest Things), Ann-Margret and Johnny Green.
She was featured as backing vocalist on several popular songs of the 1970s including "Desiderata", "It Never Rains in Southern California", "Undercover Angel", "Rock Me Gently", "The Goodbye Girl", "Little Green Apples", "Train of Thought", "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" and "Delta Dawn".
During the mid-70s, she joined up with David Gates, founder member of the band Bread, and became his backing singer for a number of his solo tours, alongside her future husband.
She sang on several commercials for Ernest and Julio Gallo, AVCO Financial Services Corporation, Bank of America, Toyota, Datsun and other clients.
She contracted recordings for Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Johnny Rivers, Lambert & Potter, Michael Omartian, Marty Paich, Melanie, Lee Greenwood, Helen Reddy, Alan O'Day, Andy Kim, Albert Hammond, David Gates, Johnny Mathis, Vicki Carr, Billy Joel, and many others.