John Parr had kicked around the U.K. as a singer, songwriter, and musician since the age of 13. Although he fronted two popular Brit bands, the Silence and Ponder's End, neither one scored a major record deal or had any hits. In 1983, he decided to push his songwriting career, and landed a publishing deal with Carlin Music in 1983, which led to an invitation by Meatloaf to co-write material for his upcoming Bad Attitude album.
The affiliation with Meatloaf led to his own record deal on Atlantic, which produced the hit "Naughty Naughty," a Top 40 hit that Parr scored in the U.S. With his chiseled good looks and his songs now being recorded by others, hopes were high that Parr would be the next big pop superstar in the U.S. He actually scored his biggest chart success next when he recorded the theme to St. Elmo's Fire, the brat pack drama that starred Emilio Estevez and Rob Lowe.
"Naughty Naughty" was enough of a hit to get Parr on the opening slot tour for Toto, who at the time, were one of pop's biggest bands. With a backing band called The Business, Parr played to an average of 10,000 people per night in U.S. arenas. The success he saw from that flurry of activity opened several new doors for Parr, who went on to write and produce for several other artists, including Marilyn Martin, and movie soundtracks like Night Moves, Three Men & A Baby, and Quicksilver.
Parr, however, was unable to keep the momentum going, and by the early 1990s his celebrity status faded on the international music scene. He remains active today, continuing to record and perform on occasion.