Elation overcomes Patric Parker whenever he pulls into the parking lot at Blondie’s Food & Spirits.
Nestled near the intersection of Hill and Torrey Roads just west of US-23, Blondie’s has become one of the Flint-area’s most popular dining destinations for fine food and drink, an appealing atmosphere and lively live music under the ownership of Lisa Blondell.
Parker is a fixture of the Blondie’s music scene, essentially enjoying a residency there. An attorney specializing in real estate and business law by day, he organizes, hosts and performs at an open mic night every Tuesday before returning to entertain patrons on Fridays.
Upon entering the lot, Parker parks right outside an entrance, something the 69-year-old appreciates more and more, and begins hauling in his equipment. The Fenton resident brings more than an acoustic guitar from his collection. There is also a microphone and stand along with a five-piece public address system that must be assembled and then taken apart each time.
“It takes about four trips to bring it all in with all the parts and cables and things, but it’s more than worth it because the range of the PA system is really good,” Parker says. “Gone are the days when I would carry in four things at a time holding something else in my teeth.”
With everything in place, Parker takes the stage, originally built by a former owner who envisioned a comedy club, and strums a few bars before unleashing his rich, room-filling baritone.
“Blondie’s is a fun place to play because, while it’s a fairly big room with about 100 seats, there are usually around 50 people when I perform, so it’s kind of an intimate setting too,” Parker says. “I feel like the audience is really paying attention, which is another reason I love the stage.”
At Blondie’s, Parker organizes, hosts and performs
at Open Mic Night every Tuesday and entertains patrons on Fridays.
“I’ve always thought of myself as a singer who holds a guitar. I still really enjoy music and all the incredible people I’ve met through music.”
Patric Parker
Those in attendance are treated to a gamut of hits, ranging from lighter classic rock staples by the likes of James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, Harry Chapin, Jim Croce, Jimmy Buffet and the Eagles to more modern singer-songwriters like Jason Isbell and Randy Clark, to current country superstars Chris Stapleton and Jelly Roll.
“We regularly receive calls asking when Pat is playing, so he has a regular following among those who come to enjoy his talents, as well as our staff,” Blondell says.
In fact, Parker became so well-received that Blondie’s staff had concert T-shirts made to wear on evenings he performs.
“The T-shirts were such a hit, we made them available for sale to guests and immediately sold out,” Blondell notes.
Parker first performed at Blondie’s in 2017 when invited by a musician friend who was already playing there to be part of its first anniversary celebration. Almost immediately, Parker became enthralled by the establishment and began showcasing his talents there roughly once a month, which eventually grew into more frequent gigs. He put together Blondie’s first open mic night in December 2018.
In no time, the event was a hit with customers.
“Pat does an outstanding job managing our open mic nights,” Blondell raves. “He takes care of everything from organizing and managing the performer sign-ups, managing sound equipment, taking photos and then posting a complete recap on our social media pages.”
Last December, Parker pulled together an expanded roster of performers to celebrate open mic night’s fifth anniversary.
“Cherry Sunburst” (left) is a 1969 Gibson Dove purchased by Parker’s father from the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, MI. “Elvis Presley played a Gibson Dove around the same time,” he shares. “That was my main guitar for 35 years – my sentimental favorite, though not my best sounding guitar. I still play it a lot.” On the right is a 1945 Gibson LG-2 “Banner” model he purchased at Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville in 2021. Fun Fact: During World War II, the Gibson Guitar company in Kalamazoo had an all female workforce due to the working man shortage (the “Kalamazoo Gals”). Models they built have a sticker on the headstock saying “Only a Gibson is Good Enough” – now called a “banner model.” Parker adds, “This one is more of a collector, though it sounds good and I will play it occasionally.”
“None of this would be possible without your leadership, Pat,” thankful fellow musician Samuel Mebius posted on Blondie’s Facebook page the next day.
Blondie’s is not the only place where those with an appetite for live music can catch Parker. He is sometimes invited to perform at other venues, including Brick Street of Grand Blanc earlier this year, and he seeks out other open mic events.
In July, Parker was part of Fenton’s 2024 Art Walk, singing and strumming outdoors under a tent with granddaughter Poppy among those listening.
“It’s always fun to play outdoors, but sometimes challenging,” he says. “A lot can be said for indoor climate control.”
A father of two, stepfather of three and grandfather of eight, Parker began singing and learning guitar while in elementary school, around the same time his father was also taking guitar lessons. He started performing a few years later.
Like his son, Allan “Duke” Parker was a singing attorney who practiced law in the Flint area for more than 50 years. He was a founding member of the Genesee County Bar Foundation and served a term as President of the Genesee County Bar Association.
A friend who worked at the former Gibson Guitar headquarters in Kalamazoo hooked the Parkers up with instruments.
Parker treasures memories of sharing stages with his father.
“We had the greatest time performing together and I felt we blended our individual strengths well as singers and guitar players while also dealing with the greater amount of feedback from sound systems back then,” he recounts. “We even played regularly at the American Legion Hall in Grand Blanc for about a decade.”
The Grand Blanc High School graduate’s first stint as a performer lasted through his teens and into his mid-twenties before raising a family and growing a law career took precedence.
Other highlights from that time include performing a guitar solo for a crowd of about 700 during Grand Blanc’s 1971 graduation ceremony, and singing at New York’s landmark Carnegie Hall with the University of Michigan’s Glee Club while a law student there.
“Looking back, performing at Carnegie was huge, but as a 19-year-old, I honestly had no idea of the significance of it,” Parker shares.
He continued playing guitar and singing away from the public eye before finally returning to live performances in 2011, two years after his father’s death.
“I’ve always thought of myself as a singer who holds a guitar, have been doing that for about 60 years and have not gotten much better over the past 58 years,” he jokes. “I got back into performing because it was time to either do that or sell my guitars; but I found I still really enjoy music and all the incredible people I’ve met through music.”
Parker also jests that he prefers being a solo artist because it entails less work.
“As much as I might enjoy performing with a group, that would involve rehearsals and I admit I’d be a little lazy about doing that,” he says.
Parker’s schedule is anything but lazy.
Still practicing law full time with the Simen, Figura & Parker firm in Flint, he remains active in the community.
“I might technically be at retirement age, but it’s not time for me to retire from law just yet,” he says. “I still enjoy the challenge of the work, the people I work with and the clients I have the privilege of serving, some for a long time.”
Parker is one of the original board members of LAFF Pathway, Inc., a non-profit working to fund and establish non-motorized pathways in southern Genesee County. He is also a member of the Genesee County Bar Foundation Board of Directors.
He has served as a member of the Fenton Planning Commission and Fenton’s Downtown Development Authority, as well as сhairman of both the Fenton Community Fund and Fenton Community and Cultural Center Board of Governors.
Suellen, Parker’s wife of 34 years, is also an attorney, practicing mainly family law with her own passion outside the office. She is the owner of Case Island Glass LLC, specializing in kiln-formed, midcentury modern glassware.
“I always say Suellen is the real artist in the family,” Parker insists. “She has a more relevant second career than I do.”
Set to play Battle Alley Brewing Company in Holly late last month, Parker was also a regular at the former Cranberries Cafe in Goodrich until it closed for renovations last fall following an ownership change. Ironically, the new owner is Blondell, who hoped to reopen the venue as Trio Tavern & Grill this month. She is excited to have Parker performing at her new establishment.
“We love that Pat plays music from a variety of genres and is always willing to learn new songs at the request of our staff,” she says. “When you observe the dining room while Pat is on stage, you see people laughing, singing along and having a good time.”
