In his early teens, Parker Millsap took a trip to a high-end guitar shop in Oklahoma with his dad. He felt like a kid in a candy store, and picked there for hours on end, sampling as many vintage axes as he could get his hands on. Finally, his dad put a stop to the jamming.
“Is there any one that you really like?” he asked.
Parker pointed to the Martin OM-21 in the corner. “I guess I’ll have to start saving up for it,” he said.
“Well, pack it up,” his dad replied. “We’re taking it home. And put it in the case quick before I change my mind.”
In his short career, Millsap has made back the money his dad spent on the guitar – and then some. Watch above as he performs “When I Leave” from his debut solo album, a record that we called “an early contender for one of the most notable debuts from a new artist this year.”
Video shot and edited by Neal Dahlgren. Audio recorded and mixed by Steve Martin.