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[0:06] Robert Bannon: It's the round table with me, Robert Bannon. Listen, everybody, if you're of a certain age, I was born in 1983, and I remember when the first album of his group came out. I saw them open for Whitney Houston at the theater at Madison. Luther Vandross sat in front of me. You just saw Luther clapping and singing to his music and his voice. This is a brand new album, a brand new time for Q Parker. Q Parker is on the road. I see him on the stages all across this country singing beautiful love songs and music with that iconic voice that you know and you love that has been with you through the past few years, and he's back with bigger, better, and more incredible music than you've ever heard before.

[0:45] Q Parker: Man, thanks for having me, man. How are you?

[0:47] Robert Bannon: I'm doing amazing. I'm excited. You are a voice that I grew up with.

[0:52] Q Parker: Wow.

[0:53] Robert Bannon: Wow. You know, every time I hear someone say that, it's just a moment of appreciation for myself and my brothers because, you know, I've always believed that music is the soundtrack of our lives, and to know that my music that I made over the years are now the soundtracks of people's lives. And you know, that's something that people will never forget. And every now and then I just have a moment where I have to step outside of me to just appreciate the contribution and the role that I and my brothers have played in just our generation.

[1:28] Robert Bannon: Well, we'll be twirling and swirling to your music at the club and at a wedding and at a party and a barbecue for the rest of time. Your new album that's out, your album that's out, it talks about romance. It talks about love. And your voice is synonymous with love and romance. What is the inspiration behind it? Why did we come up with this and why now?

[1:48] Q Parker: Yeah, so the latest movement is a movement of romance. I've committed to a series of volumes. The titles are Evolution of Romance Volume One through Five, and last November we released Volume One. And you know, I'm just committed to romance because I believe as a male R&B deliverer, I feel like we've gotten away from singing the music that R&B music was designed to give off and portray, and it was always connected to love and sex and intimacy and sensuality and all of those things. And um, you know, just hold on, let me make sure I'm connected back. Did I lose? You're good? No, I'm here. Okay. And just making sure that, you know, when people wanted to hear R&B music and romance music that I became one of the go-to people when it came to romance. And so again, I've committed to this. It's gonna be a five-volume series, and we are embarking upon releasing Volume Two this summer and then the full project in November.

[1:59] Robert Bannon: All right, so it's coming up this summer. We can follow you. The link to follow him and his website and everything is going to be below so you can see where you can follow and stay up to date. So the Volume Two coming out this summer, and then you're gonna put out all five. You got all five volumes, they're about ready to go. You're ready?

[1:59] Q Parker: No, no, no, no, all five volumes are not ready. And so what happens is depending on where I am after a volume has been released, it then lets me know where the next volume needs to cover and what part of romance because every volume will be a different level of romance. This version of romance is all about connectivity. Um, and so it'll be out this summer. The first single will be out this summer, and then we'll release the full volume in November, and then sometime next year or the end of this year, I'll decide when I'll go in and start recording Volume Three. And they're all quick listens. If you refer back to Volume One, it's only nine songs, 32 minutes long. This new Volume Two is only five songs, 19 minutes long. And so, you know, I believe, you know, get them in there, quick hit real quick and make them want to repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat.

[4:22] Robert Bannon: That's it, it's perfect. So if you're on date night, if it's Friday afternoon, and you're getting ready for your loved one to come home, then you know exactly what to put on, make a little dinner, watch a little movie, go out on a little date. This is the sound, this is the stuff you gotta be listening to. Do you exactly what is your process about finding the music? It, you know, it writing and recording and how your inspiration for these songs.

[4:45] Q Parker: Yeah, I have a great production team. My guys in Atlanta, Elvis, Al Jamal, Felly, Tario, J. Bush, Ant, and then also Rico Love. And so, what happens typically is I'll go in and we'll have a sit-down and I'll say, "Hey, this volume I'm thinking about this mood or this lyrical perspective," and then we'll then discuss, "Well, what does it need to sound like musically and sonically?" and then we'll tap into that, and then we'll go in for about two weeks every day and just start hammering out songs. And because we have these conversations on the front end, we can really be efficient in our recording. So normally, like back in the day, we'd record 50 songs, choose 15 or choose 20 back then. But now I'm able to, because of the conversations that we have and the streamlining of our ideas, we're able to record five songs, and those be the five songs on there.

[5:53] Robert Bannon: Incredible, and incredible. When you look at this volume and some of the music, like "Keep on Loving" and "Put It On" and "Beg," these are songs, they're there already hundreds of millions together of streams on Spotify and Apple and wherever you listen to music. What's it like when people who have been with you through your career? You got you, well, you've been out here singing like professionally with a record for like almost 30 years.

[6:17] Q Parker: So 30 years. So, what's it like when people hear this new music?

[6:20] They love it, they're streaming it, they're sharing it, they're saving it. You must hear people in DMs and messages and comments about how much this music means to them.

[6:28] Q Parker: Yeah, I'm so appreciative of those that follow me and those that are willing to go along this journey. One of the most difficult parts about this is, you know, people are so accustomed to what they are comfortable with, and they are, some of them have been so comfortable with me just being a member of 112 and being a part of the group. And so when I announce that I'm gonna do individual things, sometimes it's difficult for people to separate the two. With the respect that, you know, I can do Q Parker, but I'll never be away from 112. I'll never not represent 112. And so I'm just grateful that, you know, those that are willing to be open to hearing what a Q Parker movement and sound sounds like.

I want to just say thank you to everybody because I know it's not easy. I know it's not easy. And you know, and also like you said, it's 30 years. Our first song came out in 1996. Here we are 2026. So it is 30 years. And a lot of times, you know, when people reach the 50 plus years of age, they want to categorize you as old and washed up and you can't do it anymore. You don't sound like you used to sound. Well, I want to defy all of those. I want to look better than I looked when I was in my 30s. I want to sound just as great if not better than I did when I was younger. I want to perform better. I just want to defy what a legacy artist quote unquote looks, sounds like, and moves like.

[8:00] Robert Bannon: That's it. That's why he's in shape, y'all. He doesn't need any, he hasn't had a carb in 30 years. He's out here in the gym. And he's in shape. So when you go on the road now and you have dates, and I see that you're on the road, I, you do, there was a new event I just saw on your Instagram that is going to be in, I think in Atlanta, and you have shows in Jersey coming up. You have shows across the country. Q Parker is a part of out here and seeing what is a live Q Parker, what do we get when we come see you live and in concert?

[8:21] Q Parker: Well, yes, so you get some records from my first solo album, The Manual. You also get songs from Evolution of Romance Volume 1.

[8:39] Q Parker: But I also take you down memory lane and I seen some of the classic 112 songs that I had verses on. And then I do some covers too. Because as although I'm an artist, I'm also a fan of artists. And I've been inspired by artists. I'm a huge fan and lover of the 80s R&B. And so, you know, that's a gumbo mix of what you get at a present day Q Parker show. You get all of my solo music, you get a medley of some 112 stuff, and then some covers and some throwbacks, some crowd participation, and just a great R&B time. You know, when you think about inspiration, the sound that you make on this album and all of the music you've made is really is a homage and a tip of the hat to great R&B music. And you've I talked about you being on tour with Whitney Houston, but you guys, Isley Brothers, Keith Sweat, New Edition, like you've been on the road and have sung with all the R&B greats and worked with all the R&B greats, and now you are an R&B great as well.

Wow. What's it like when you were young and growing up and then get to work with people you listen to on the radio? And what did you take from their lessons that you may have learned by watching other people work that you take with you today?

[9:51] Q Parker: Absolutely. Every time you see me perform, I have placed parts of all of the greats that I've ever worked with, toured with. I watched how New Edition made the crowd involved. I watched Puffy and I watched the Isley Brothers. I watched Keith Sweat and all of these people that inspire me. I'm a huge fan of Babyface and Marvin Gaye and Teddy Pendergrass, Freddie Jackson, Luther. I just I'm a researcher and I just love to watch to see the things that they did that worked, and then some of the things that didn't work. So you know, I make a note of what not to do. But a lot of who I am as a solo artist, I'm not only bringing Q Parker to the stage, but I'm bringing all of those that have influenced me to the stage with me.

And I love to shine light on and recognize those that have inspired me. Listen that you gotta hear the music. The new music is out and more music coming. So we're gonna follow Q Parker. We're gonna stay on his website. We're gonna see him when he's out in the streets and then I moved from Jersey to Detroit. So we need a Q Parker. Come on now.

[11:07] Q Parker: Yeah. And I love I love Detroit. Detroit has always been one of my favorite cities to perform. Always have supported 112 and have supported the Q Parker movement. And so yes anytime I'm anywhere in close to Detroit and I'm talking about Saginaw, Flint, Muskegon, all of the parts of Michigan, I just love it because you guys embraced us in a major way in the early days. I know you'll be out soon more dates to come.

[11:38] Q Parker: Absolutely. You talk about inspiration and love. Your own personal life, you and your wife and your journey with your family what is it that must be a big inspiration to these records?

[11:48] Q Parker: Absolutely. You know I write from life experience and being married going on 24 years in August it's a lot to pull from man because you don't you don't get 24 years of everything just being great and gravy it's not always good sometimes it's not as good sometimes it's shaky as rocky as the peaks and valleys of just being in a relationship but all in all, love it's the foundation, and romance has played a huge part in the success of our marriages. So, yes, I pull from those moments. And again, I just love I'm a people watcher, and so I listen to stories, I watch, I watch, I read, and I see the ebb and flows of different relationships, and I just pull from them because I like people to be able to relate to me.

Like I'm not I'm not singing I cross the highest mountain and sail the widest sea, and I'm not writing those songs anymore. I want to be real and I want to be authentic to what's going on today. And so when you listen to my songs, hopefully you can find yourself in some of the lyrics.

[13:00] Q Parker: Absolutely. Shout out to her. She's a boss lady, she's a business lady out here and doing it up. Well, all of you, you both of y'all just boss people, boss couple out here. So for you and the future, more music, more writing, the single coming out this summer. Right now, we can listen to volume. Do you is it a story? Do we do you know what the five volumes are? Do you know how it's gonna end?

[13:21] Q Parker: I don't, not yet. The story is being written as we are going along, and again, I'm inspired by the present day. And so let's just say next year there's a wave of I don't know, weddings, then maybe volume three will be weddings. You know, it just it just kind of wherever I am in the moment, and in that season, that's the key word for me. I believe in seasons, and so I like to stay in the season that I'm in. And in the volume two season is connectivity. So this is why volume two will be centered around connectivity. I love it. I don't think you have a good relationship without connecting and communication, and this is the soundtrack to that. Go to the website, everybody, and you can see updated. It's qparker.com. You can go to Instagram and you can stay up to date, see the dates and the different events that are going to be and where Q's gonna be around and be on the road. I gotta see you. I'm excited to see you.

[14:23] Q Parker: Do you when you were young, you guys were you you were a very famous person at a very young age. Is fame scary? Is it scary when it hits? Is it a dream? Is it what you thought it was gonna be?

[14:35] Q Parker: I personally would say fame to a certain extent is it's okay. Because the higher you get in your fame, the less freedom you have. And I believe that as an individual, we should all have the rights and freedoms to just be who we are. I can't imagine what Taylor Swift or Beyonce or Jay-Z's world is like not being able to go to the grocery store, not being able to go just do regular common things. And so I enjoy my level of celebrity and fame because it's just enough, but just not enough to where I can still go out to the grocery store and go out with my family and not being heckled and not being paparazzi and all of those things. And so I appreciate the appreciation and the recognition of knowing that I've contributed musically to the culture and to the legacy and to the era. But in terms of fame, nah, you can keep the fame.

[15:42] Q Parker: I hear that. No, yeah, you want to go out with your family. And I get it. Yeah, man. I get it. Make some money, make some good music, provide for your family, but be able to have some peace and privacy. Well, exactly. Thank you for an incredible body of work. Thank you for the music that you've made and continue to make. I know the best is yet to come. The best R&B. He's got wait, he's got bangers ready to come out this summer. You gotta be ready for it. And he's already streaming right now. Volume one is available in streaming right now. He is Grammy Award-winning platinum superstar, Q Parker, and he's out on the road as well. And he'll be up more dates, I'm sure, will be announced as time goes on. So stick around, follow, and thank you so much for giving us so much music and memories and more to come. I'm so grateful and appreciative to speak to you today.

[16:30] Q Parker: Man, thank you. Pleasure is mine.