Jim “Dawg” Parks is one of Anniston’s prime examples of an entertainer. He’s a 30year veteran musician who has been in house bands, touring groups and taken himself out as a solo performer. He fronts the Jim “Dawg” Parks Band, playing guitar alongside bassist Neal Willis and drummer Jason Robinett. “I’ve played every style of music you can imagine,” says Parks. He grew up in Tennessee. His father wanted him to play country music, but Parks had a thing for the Allman Brothers and blues music. After Parks served in the Army in the late 70’s, he tried his hand at playing music professionally, picking up gigs with house bands. He spent a few years at Dee Ford’s and the Alabama Show Palace, learning how to build a crowd and get listeners excited. “On this level, we’re in the people business, not the music business,” says Parks. Parks gives special attention to providing an interesting show. As a slide guitarist, Parks will use a round, fingersized piece of ceramic that goes around his finger and slides up and down the strings to play drawling notes on his guitar. But from time to time, he uses a beer bottle. There’s a photo of him floating around somewhere, he
says, using a bottle of Tabasco sauce as a slide. The band focuses on giving an entertaining show as a way to connect with fans. “If people can tell you’re having a good time, they’ll have a good time too,” muses Parks. Having opened for acts like the Allman Brothers, Grand Funk Railroad and Three Dog Night, Parks knows a bit about the wild life of a working showman. Parks has heard a million stories about how he earned his nickname, “Dawg,” from fans who assume it comes from carousing or making trouble. “If you ask people around town you’ll probably get 10 different stories about the name,” he says with a smirk. The truth is surprisingly simple: he was in a band with a drummer that everyone in the band called Moon Dog, after Moondoggie from the “Gidget” movies. When the drummer left, Parks became the new “Dog.” “It stuck, and it kind ??]? \???H \?K8?'H ?^\?\???\???\?YX?Y ?[?\?Z[?[??x?&\?[ ?^\?XZ?[?? ?\?H ]]?\?[?H\?H??? [YH] ???? ?] H?[H8?']???'H\????[? ?]?[????? ?[??X??[??X\??8?'x?&[H?? ?]\?YY 8?'HH ?^\?8?'x?&[H[ ?^\????[???? H?^ ????? ]?^ ?[ ??'H8?(???S??Q???B???\ [X?\? ? L?B????