Originally from New Haven, Connecticut, Parris was the founder and lead singer of Vocal Hall of Fame and Rhythm & Blues Foundation Hall of Fame inductees The Five Satins, co-writing many of their hit songs. He collaborated on hits like the 1957 “To The Aisle,” which climbed to #5 on Billboard’s R&B Songs and #25 on the Hot 100. Additionally, he helped pen the group’s “A Night to Remember” and “Shadows.”

Most notably, Parris is the sole writer on The Five Satins’ renowned 1956 single “In The Still of the Night.” Regarded as one of the best-known Doo-Wop songs, “In The Still of the Night” continues to be recognized as an iconic piece of music history, with Rolling Stone listing it at #90 in its 2003 list of ‘The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,’ and both the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the National Endowment for the Arts naming it one of the ‘Songs of the Century.’ The single has also been featured in countless films and covered by several acts, most famously, Boyz II Men, who released an a cappella arrangement in 1992, which climbed to #3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and went on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA.