Legendary luthier Ken Parker – creator of the Parker Fly – launches crowdfund to pay for cancer treatment
Ken Parker, legendary luthier, founder of Parker Guitars, and creator of the iconic Parker Fly, has launched a crowdfund to raise money for his cancer treatment.
In a heartfelt note on his GoFundMe page, Parker shares that he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in early 2023, and that the illness has steadily eroded his ability to work.
“It hasn’t been easy living with this nasty disease, having chemo treatments that zapped my energy and slowly took away my ability to earn a living,” he writes. “Now, I’m on a breathing machine 24/7 and I’ve started to lose the use of my left arm. I humbly ask for your support to reduce the medical and personal debt that I’ve incurred and to help with my family’s expenses.”
READ MORE: The history of the Parker Fly
Reflecting on his career, Parker adds, “Throughout my life, I’ve done something that I love and am proud of – making guitars that advance the art, science and craft of building far beyond traditional methods. Most importantly, it has been a true joy and especially gratifying experience to see my guitars in the hands of all of you gifted and aspiring players, and I thank you for that opportunity.”
In a video released earlier this week, Parker – who in recent years focused on building custom archtops – also announces his retirement from day-to-day guitar building to focus on his health. Aided by a breathing machine, a visibly frail Parker explains that much of the past year has been dedicated to passing his knowledge and techniques on to his colleague Sam Krimmel.
“Sam has this gift which feels remarkably similar to the gift that I feel that I have that’s allowed me to do my work,” he says. “I’ve never had a deeper and more interesting work relationship on a daily basis than I have with Sam, and we work together very, very well.”
Krimmel, who has an engineering background, has been apprenticing under Parker full-time for the past year, “learning the intricate details of assembly while simultaneously developing new production techniques to improve part quality and consistency.”
He’s now tasked with carrying on the innovations that defined Parker’s five-decade career.
“Ken’s mission has been to pass on physical design ideas to Sam to empower a brilliant new set of hands,” the video description notes. “Sam’s mission is to continue to share the stories of innovation, creation, and industry altering ideas that define Ken’s work.”
“To honor Ken’s unfathomable contributions to the guitar industry, let’s keep the band together.”
The fundraiser is now live, with USD $95,298 raised out of its $450K target at the time of writing.
Contribute to Parker’s campaign at GoFundMe.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
