Richard John Parfitt, OBE (12 October 1948 – 24 December 2016) was an English musician, best known as a rhythm guitarist, singer and songwriter with rock band Status Quo.

In 2016, Parfitt temporarily retired from touring with the band due to ill health, and died in December of that year.

His father Richard was an insurance salesman "who was a drinker and a gambler",[1] and his mother Lillian worked in cake shops.

Following the season, the Harrison Twins' manager Joe Cohen – who had been one of the Keystone Cops – arranged for The Highlights to perform at Butlins in Minehead.

[4][5][6][7] In 1967, Traffic Jam changed their name to The Status Quo (they soon dropped the definite article and later still would often be known simply as 'Quo'), beginning Parfitt's almost 50-year career in the band.

[8] Though the follow-up was the unsuccessful single, "Black Veils of Melancholy", they had a hit again the same year with a Marty Wilde and Ronnie Scott song, "Ice in the Sun", which climbed to number eight.

[5] The 1976 hit "Mystery Song", co-written with Bob Young, was composed after Rossi had laced Parfitt's tea with amphetamine sulphate during the sessions for the Blue for You album.

[12] In 2013 and 2014, Parfitt and Rossi reunited temporarily with original Quo bandmates Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan for a series of reunion concerts on what would be called the "Frantic Four" tour.

[13][14] At the time of Parfitt's death, he was the longest lasting member of Status Quo aside from Francis Rossi; who co-founded the band in 1962.

Bob Geldof asked Parfitt and Rossi to take part, knowing that although the group were from an entirely different musical era and background, their consistent chart success and fame would bring a certain amount of credibility to the project from the rock fraternity and ensure that the group's loyal following of fans (the "Quo Army") would support the cause and buy the record in large numbers.

[18] Parfitt played guitar on the song "It's an Illusion" recorded for the 1984 album Strange Frontier by Roger Taylor.

[20] Among the musicians on the record were bassist John "Rhino" Edwards and drummer Jeff Rich, formerly with the Climax Blues Band and Judie Tzuke.

[23] In 2013, Parfitt and Rossi starred as themselves in Bula Quo!, a comedy film in which the duo find themselves becoming accidentally involved with mafia operations on Fiji.

In April 2015, in partnership with Julian Hall and his wife Lyndsay, Parfitt set up "Status Homes", a real estate company based in Marbella, Spain.

Parfitt had worked on the album during his hiatus from the band following a heart attack in 2016, completing vocal and guitar tracks, but dying before he had had an opportunity to produce it.

Guest musicians helping to complete the album included Brian May of Queen, Chris Wolstenholme of Muse, former Status Quo bassist Alan Lancaster and current bassist John "Rhino" Edwards and co-produced by Parfitt's son Rick Parfitt Jnr.

Prior to acquiring this instrument, he played a late 1967 Fender Custom Telecaster in Ice Blue Metallic finish, with a rosewood fretboard.

Among these were Brian May of Queen, the Who, Peter Frampton and broadcaster Chris Tarrant, on whose show – Tiswas – Status Quo appeared.