Promotion Legend, Live In The Vineyard Co-Founder Claire Parr Has Passed

RIP Claire Parr (Facebook photo)

After a lengthy illness, ALL ACCESS is sad to note the passing of industry stalwart CLAIRE WEST PARR on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1st in DALLAS.

PARR started her music industry career at GEFFEN RECORDS in 1987, eventually rising to VP/Adult Promotion. Her next move was to CURB RECORDS, where as a VP she did A&R before settling in running the promotion department.

In 2000, she stuck out her own shingle on the side of building in CONNECTICUT and opened her business, THE NAVIGATOR COMPANY.  NAVIGATOR was an independent promotion firm that also specialized in marketing, label consulting and management.

She will perhaps be best remembered as the co-founder of LIVE IN THE VINEYARD in NAPA, CA (and, subsequently, YOUNTVILLE LIVE). LITV, the biannual event that brings together live music performances, radio programmers, record company executives, specialty products, music supervisors from both film and television and, of course, amazing wines and equally amazing food debuted in 2008. Countless careers were augmented and/or given a jump start at LITV.

PARR learned the business from her father, DALLAS radio legend JIM WEST, who started at PAMS, and would go on to become a broadcasting company owner.

In 2017, she moved to NASHIVILLE, and again, reinvented herself by opening CLAIRE WEST DESIGN, which was a high-end custom hat-making operation. Her hats became renowned so quickly that they were featured in ITALIAN VOGUE and she was featured in FORBES.

She also reveled in being a singer/songwriter, and loved an open-mic night opportunity when it came along, especially in NASHVILLE. 

ALL ACCESS President/Publisher JOEL DENVER noted, "We have lost a true promotion icon with CLAIRE's passing. A true professional, she always went the extra mile for radio, the artists and their music. An innovator and beloved by all, she will be deeply missed and her loss felt by everyone that she came in contact with over the years."

MVP ENTERTAINMENT Pres. SAM KAISER recalled, "In 1989, I moved from NEW YORK to LOS ANGELES to take a position with ENIGMA/EMI RECORDS. CLAIRE was referred to me by (the late) KEVIN METHENY.  I hired her immediately, put her in charge of our Adult Pop Promotion and she was an immediate star in the music promotion world.

"I left ENIGMA/EMI in 1991 and it was around this time that CLAIRE moved on to GEFFEN RECORDS. And the rest is history.  What an extraordinary career and one of a kind human being. I am forever grateful to be blessed to call her my friend and mourn her passing. We have lost one of the good ones."

PARR is survived by her son, ELIJAH PARR, and ex-husband BOB PARR. Information regarding memorial services is pending.

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