{{short description|American singer}}
{{Infobox musical artist | name = London Parris | image = | caption = | image_size = | birth_name = Conley Parris | birth_date = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1931|5|25}} | birth_place = United States | death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|1992|9|7|1931|5|25}} | death_place = United States | instrument = Vocals | genre = Southern gospel | occupation = Musician | years_active = ca. 1950–1992 | label = RCA, Skylite | associated_acts = The Rebels Quartet, The Blackwood Brothers, London Parris and The Apostles }} '''Conley''' "'''London'''" '''Parris''' (May 25, 1931 – September 7, 1992) was an American southern gospel bass singer, famous for his associations with The Rebels quartet and The Blackwood Brothers and hit songs such as "Heaven Came Down". He was inducted into the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame in 2004.<ref name="sgms-2004">{{cite web|url=http://sgma.org/category/sgma-hall-of-fame/2004/page/2/|title=Hall of Fame 2004|publisher=SGMA|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017062034/http://sgma.org/category/sgma-hall-of-fame/2004/page/2/|archivedate=2014-10-17}}</ref>
==Biography and career== {{expand section|date=June 2014}} Conley Parris was born on May 25, 1931, in the United States.{{where|date=June 2014}} Named “London” by Lee Roy Abernathy of The Homeland Harmony Quartet, he started singing gospel music in The Rebels Quartet when he replaced bass singer Big Jim Waits.<ref name="sgma-clp">{{cite web|url=http://sgma.org/conley-london-parris/|title=Conley "London" Parris|publisher=SGMA|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140621102607/http://sgma.org/conley-london-parris/|archivedate=2014-06-21}}</ref>
Parris joined Christian music pioneers The Blackwood Brothers in the late 1960s during their post-Sumner era.<ref name="bb-tribute">{{cite web|url=http://www.blackwoodbrothers.com/tribute.htm|title=Tribute|publisher=blackwoodbrothers.com|access-date=2014-06-21|archive-date=2018-09-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928061133/http://www.blackwoodbrothers.com/tribute.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> With The Blackwood Brothers he released many albums and went on to win two Grammy Awards for Best Gospel Performance with their album ''In Gospel Country'' in 1969 at the 12th Annual Grammy Awards<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=m_9ZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-koNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4788,6324796&dq=grammy&hl=en|title=Rock Group, Machine, Pop Song Top Grammy Winners|last=Campbell|first=Mary|date=12 March 1970|publisher=Waycross Journal-Herald}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=&title=&year=1969&genre=All|title=1969 Grammy Award Winners|publisher=Grammy.com}}</ref> and again in 1972 for ''L-O-V-E'' at the 15th Annual Grammy Awards,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uMcuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=f6EFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2555,1324826&dq=grammy&hl=en|title=Roberta Flack tops Grammys|date=5 March 1973|publisher=The Montreal Gazette}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=&title=&year=1972&genre=All|title=1972 Grammy Award Winners|publisher=Grammy.com}}</ref> the 1970 Album of the Year award for ''Fill My Cup, Lord'' at the 2nd GMA Dove Awards, and many other awards.<ref name="bb-awards">{{cite web|url=http://www.blackwoodbrothers.com/awards.htm|title=Awards|publisher=blackwoodbrothers.com}}</ref>
In 1971 he started his own group, London Parris and The Apostles, which won the Dove Award for the Most Promising New Gospel Talent at the 4th GMA Dove Awards in 1972.<ref name="sgma-clp" /><ref name="bb-tribute" />
Parris and his wife Yvonne had two sons, Christopher and David, and one daughter, Kathy.<ref name="bb-tribute" /> He died on 7 September 1992.<ref name="bb-tribute" />{{where|date=June 2014}}
Parris was a consummate performer with a large, booming bass voice and a dynamic personality that made him a crowd favorite.<ref name="sgma-clp" /><ref name="bb-tribute" /> He was famous for his renditions of "At the Crossing" and "Little Boy Lost", but "Heaven Came Down" and "Everybody Ought to Know" are his signature songs.<ref name="sgma-clp" />
In 2004, he was posthumously inducted into the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame, operated at Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, by the Southern Gospel Music Association.<ref name="sgms-2004" />
==Discography== {{expand section|date=June 2014}} ;As London Parris<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/london_parris_and_the_goss_brothers|title=London Parris|publisher=Rate Your Music}}</ref> {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Album ! Record label |- | 1965 | ''God Called Me to Sing'' | Skylite / 6038 |}
;As London Parris & the Goss Brothers<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/london_parris|title=London Parris & the Goss Brothers|publisher=Rate Your Music}}</ref> {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Album ! Record label |- | 1968 | ''Heaven Came Down'' | Zondervan / 728 |- | 1969 | ''Sounds of London'' | Zondervan / 747 |}
;With The Blackwood Brothers Quartet {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Album ! Record label |- | rowspan="3" | 1968 | ''Yours Faithfully'' | rowspan="2" | RCA Victor |- | ''In Gospel Country'' |- | ''All Day Singing'' | Skylite |- | rowspan="4" | 1969 | data-sort-value="Heavenly Harmony Of" | ''The Heavenly Harmony of The Blackwood Brothers Quartet'' | |- | ''Fill My Cup Lord'' | RCA Victor |- | ''Just a Closer Walk with Thee'' | RCA Camden |- | ''O Come All Ye Faithful'' | |- | rowspan="3" | 1970 | ''Gospel Classics'' | |- | ''My God and I'' | |- | ''Oh Happy Day'' | rowspan="4" | RCA Camden |- | rowspan="5" | 1971 | ''Sheltered in the Arms of God'' |- | ''Amazing Grace'' |- | ''Put Your Hand in the Hand'' |- | data-sort-value="Blackwood Brothers Quartet" | ''The Blackwood Brothers Quartet featuring London Parris'' | |- | ''He's Still the King of Kings and Lord of Lords'' | rowspan="2" | RCA Victor |- | 1972 | ''L-O-V-E'' |}
;As London Parris and the Apostles<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/london_parris_and_the_apostles|title=London Parris & the Apostles|publisher=Rate Your Music}}</ref> {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Album ! Record label |- | 1970 | data-sort-value="What A Day" | ''What a Day'' | CAM 1206 |-
|- | 1971 | data-sort-value="Eastern Gate, The" | ''The Eastern Gate'' | |- | 1973 | ''Because He Lives'' | Chime Records / LP 311 |- | 1973 | ''Featuring their Bass, London Parris'' | QCA / LP 312 |- | 1973 | ''Why Me?'' | QCA / LP 309 |} ;With Jackie Marshall<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/london_parris_and_jackie_marshall|title=London Parris & Jackie Marshall|publisher=Rate Your Music}}</ref> {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Album ! Record label |- | 1987 | ''Friends Working Together'' | |}
==See also== * The Blackwood Brothers discography
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{refbegin}} * {{Discogs artist|London Parris & The Apostles|London Parris & The Apostles}} {{refend}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Parris, London}} Category:1931 births Category:1992 deaths Category:20th-century American singers Category:20th-century American male singers Category:American gospel singers Category:American basses Category:Place of birth missing Category:Place of death missing Category:Southern gospel performers Category:CAM artists Category:Skylite artists