Graham Parker, hailed 50 years ago as rock's next big star, reflects on a career defined by acclaim rather than mass fame ahead of a new UK tour. He shot from petrol-pump attendant to critically adored performer within months in 1975-76, backed by his band the Rumour, yet consciously avoided the trajectory of contemporaries such as Bruce Springsteen, instead building a body of cult records and a later diversion into Hollywood.

His breakthrough came with the 1976 debut album Howlin' Wind, which drew stars including Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott to the studio and won huge critical praise, particularly for the track Don't Ask Me Questions. The follow-up, Heat Treatment, cemented his reputation further, with Parker recalling press mobbing him in Australia, praise from Bob Dylan backstage at a festival, and an awkward brief encounter with Michael Jackson in Los Angeles. He describes his younger self as brimming with confidence despite an unlikely rock-star image, drawing on influences such as Motown, soul and ska rather than the progressive rock trends of the time.