Gloria Parker was a musician and bandleader who played the marimba and the “singing glasses,” or glass harp.
- Died: April 13, 2022 (Who else died on April 13?)
- Details of death: Died at a hospital in Syosset, New York at the age of 100.
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Singing glasses
Parker’s “singing glasses” were a collection of 28 wine glasses, filled with varying amounts of water or white wine. Running her fingers along the rims, Parker created music that was featured in venues from her own 1950s radio show to late night TV shows to the Woody Allen movie “Broadway Danny Rose.” In the later, she played one of the talent agent title character’s clients, who cheerfully demonstrated her skill to a resort owner looking for new acts. Parker was the bandleader of the Swingphony, a 21-piece band that was the largest led by a female bandleader. They played on her radio program, “The Gloria Parker Show,” in which she also played the glass harp, marimba, and organ. Parker also performed in Soundies, a 1940s precursor to the music video that played in coin-operated “movie jukeboxes.”
Parker on the glass harp
“One drop either way makes a difference. Height, circumference — it all makes a difference soundwise.” —from a 2012 interview for the Daily News
Tributes to Gloria Parker
Full obituary: The New York Times
