Gloria Parker (née Rosenthal; August 20, 1921 – April 13, 2022) was an American musician and bandleader who had a radio show during the big band era.
[2] Her father, Jack, was the owner of a garage; her mother, Rose (Glickman), was a violinist with Mark Warnow & the Hit Parade Orchestra.
This happened after an earlier ban of ASCAP songs from radio stations which led to the demise of this style of swing music.
During the early 1950s, she hosted a radio program with Vincent Lopez from the Taft Hotel in Manhattan called Shake the Maracas.
[3] Parker was also known for her starring roles in music films (Soundies), such as Broadway and Main with Stepin Fetchit,[12] Four Letters,[13] Here Comes the Fattest Man in Town with comedic personality Mel Blanc as Santa Claus,[14] Penthouse Party featuring Parker playing the glass harp,[15] and Wise Men Say,[16] all produced and directed by William Forest Crouch.
Soundies were viewed on a Panoram, a coin-operated film jukebox in bars, nightclubs, restaurants, amusement parks, and community centers.