Background
She was born Carol Celeste Carmichael in Pasadena, California, daughter of contemporary Christian music composer, conductor and arranger Ralph Carmichael.
She was born Carol Celeste Carmichael in Pasadena, California, daughter of contemporary Christian music composer, conductor and arranger Ralph Carmichael.
She was the former wife of musician Dean Parks. Vocalist
Parks was a Hollywood studio singer in the 1970s and worked with Andy Williams and Tom Jones in shows and was in the choir for Sonny & Cher, Cher, and Danny Kaye. She was featured as backing vocalist on several popular songs of the 1970s including "Desiderata", "lieutenant Never Rains in Southern California", "Undercover Angel", "Rock Maine Gently", "The Goodbye Girl", "Little Green Apples", "Train of Thought", "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" and "Delta Dawn".
Together, they also supported the reunited Bread during their 1978 tour of the United Kingdom, although the 1978 United Kingdom television special featured Parks singing from off stage.
She sang on several commercials for Ernest and Julio Gallo, Alloy Valves and Control Financial Services Corporation, Bank of America, Toyota, Datsun and other clients. Under the alias "Honey White and the Night Manitoba", "Kim Carmichael" and "Carol Carmichael" she recorded two albums Songs My Father Taught Maine, The Carol Carmichael Songbook, and two singles, "All Night"s Alright", "Shake A Hand".
She also recorded two albums Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Touring The Motor City, plus a single "Summertime Love" with The New Christy Minstrels. Additionally Parks sang main titles for Where"s Papa?, The Miracle Worker, Save the Tiger, Lifeguard, The Last Picture Show, and the television program Ironside.
Parks recorded "The Persuader" on the first automated recording console invented by George Massenburg at The Complex in the early eighties.
Assistant record producer
She contracted recordings for Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Johnny Rivers, Lambert & Potter, Michael Omartian, Marty Paich, Melanie, Lee Greenwood, Helen Reddy, Alan O"Day, Andy Kim, Albert Hammond, David Gates, Johnny Mathis, Vicki Carr, Billie Joel, and many others Her children, Amanda and Acacia Parks, also sang on several tracks. Artist
She lived in and worked in Southern California"s NoHo Arts District until her death in Valley Village, California.
As a teenager, Parks was a member of the Jimmy Joyce Children"s Choir, performing with Art Linkletter (Kids Say the Darndest Things), Ann-Margret and Johnny Green.
