Graham Parker: From petrol-pump attendant to enduring, razor-sharp rocker

Graham Parker’s meteoric 1970s rise with The Rumour yielded acclaimed records like Howlin’ Wind and Squeezing Out Sparks, and fame that never fully matched the hype. Over a 50-year career he blended sharp, literate songwriting with fearless reinvention, collaborated across genres, wrote and published, and even cameoed in Judd Apatow’s This Is 40. He later embraced a more modest path, insisting on small-scale, intimate gigs while continuing to tour and release work well into the 2020s.