My Take
Ray Parker Jr. is one of those guys who could have had a perfectly respectable career as a session guitarist and R&B hitmaker — and then he wrote Ghostbusters, and suddenly the whole world knew his name. Growing up in Detroit, he was playing on Motown sessions as a teenager, which tells you everything about the kind of instincts this man has. "The Other Woman" from 1982 is an underrated gem that proves he had serious pop chops before the supernatural hook came along. But honestly, that Ghostbusters theme is a genuine piece of pop genius — infectious, funky, and so locked into the cultural moment that it still sounds cool forty years later. A Hollywood Walk of Fame star is well earned for a songwriter who gave the world one of the most recognizable hooks ever recorded.
Overview
Ray Erskine Parker Jr. (born May 1, 1954) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. As a solo performer, he wrote and performed the theme song for the 1984 film Ghostbusters and also sounds from the animated series The Real Ghostbusters. Previously, Parker achieved a US top-5 hit in 1982 with "The Other Woman".
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ray Parker Jr.
- Name (Japanese)
- レイ・パーカー・ジュニア
- Reading
- れい・ぱーかー・じゅにあ
- Born
- May 1, 1954 (age 72)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Horse
- Origin
- Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- songwriter / guitarist / record producer / bandleader / composer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Northwestern High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.