His talent was spotted by Island Records and, after a successful audition, he received an offer to join the newly created supergroup Sharks as lead singer and songwriter.
The band travelled in a Sharkmobile (a customised Pontiac LeMans with a fin on the roof and teeth on the grill) and supported Roxy Music on their first UK tour.
He toured with the Video Kings which included John Bentley, Clem Clempson, Graham Deakin and bassist Jackie Badger.
(Retitled Zerox, rerecorded May 1979 with Adam Ant self-producing and with a changed B-side Whip In My Valise, the single was eventually released on Do It Records in summer 1979.)
[6][7] In 1979, Parsons married Jackie Badger and, as Snips, then signed to MAM Records, who released a single 9 O’Clock which he co-produced with Midge Ure.
[8][9] Spedding then produced the Snips album La Rocca in 1981 for EMI and the pair reunited briefly for live performances on a North American tour in the same year.
[20] In 2011, as Stephen Parsons, he formed the band King Mob, which included Glen Matlock, Chris Spedding, Martin Chambers and rockabilly guitarist Sixteen.
[21][22] Also in 2012, as SWP, he began writing a series of articles for the online magazine Trebuchet, which offer a personal view of the history and development of counter culture.
Guest stars on the album included Bryan Ferry, Johnny Marr, Ian McShane and the late Andy Fraser.
[25] In late 2015, he reunited with Chris Spedding to perform Sharks songs as a tribute to Andy Fraser, who died earlier in the year.
[26] The new line up (including Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols) has so far toured the UK and Japan winning acclaim for their high energy and slightly chaotic stage shows.