--- title: Red Dirt Country Singer Bobby Parks Turns Heartbreak Into 'Pick Me Up', Out August 7 as He Tours the UK description: Country singer Bobby Parks releases 'Pick Me Up' on August 7 during his UK tour. The Red Dirt and Tulsa Sound artist wrote the single after a breakup. author: Darie Nani (Editor-in-Chief) date: 2026-08-02T07:02:48.177Z updated: 2026-08-02T07:41:40.195Z canonical: https://www.richmanmagazine.com/article/bobby-parks-pick-me-up-red-dirt-country image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/bobby-parks-press.webp categories: Music content_type: Spotlight region: United States publication: Rich Dad Magazine about: - type: Person name: Bobby Parks description: "Bobby Parks is an American country singer, songwriter and performer from Oologah, Oklahoma, now based in Nashville, Tennessee. Fronting the Bobby Parks Band, he blends the Tulsa Sound with Red Dirt country, Americana, Southern rock and 90s country influences. A Texas Radio Award winner, he tours full time across the United States and internationally, and holds eight Infinity Music and Film Awards nominations for his single \"Pick Me Up\"." url: https://www.bobbyparksband.com sameAs: - https://open.spotify.com/artist/4MS2OQucFkOCshhJ3I80lo - https://music.apple.com/us/artist/bobby-parks-band/1653120130 - https://youtube.com/@bobbyparks9932 --- Bobby Parks has spent the summer a long way from Nashville, carrying his guitar through pubs and festival stages across the United Kingdom and Ireland. On August 7, while the tour is still running, his band releases "Pick Me Up," a single that began in the worst stretch of his life. "After a bad breakup my entire world was in disarray," Parks says. The song that came out of that period is about [being picked back up](https://richdadmagazine.com/article/thanksgiving-pink-healing-through-music), about God's love, mercy and grace, and it carries the belief Parks has repeated throughout his career: that music is "medicine for the soul." "Pick Me Up" is released by Major Record Distribution LLC with global distribution through The Orchard, and is available to pre-order on Apple Music and iTunes ahead of its release on all major platforms. Two guest fiddle players feature on the track: Philip Bowen and Jenee' Fleenor, the five-time CMA Musician of the Year and the first woman to win that award. [Listen on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/44XKlmbpIjpjDguluHtytq) ## A Country Song About Heartbreak and Getting Back Up [Country songs about heartbreak](https://richdadmagazine.com/article/emotional-honesty-and-tenderness-a-soundtrack-giving-you-permission-to-let-go-gracefully) are as old as the genre, but Parks wrote this one from inside the experience rather than at a professional distance. His world had come apart and he was starting over. Rather than dwell on the loss, the song turns toward recovery, the moment someone or something lifts you off the floor. That arc runs through the band's wider catalog. Parks points to "Pick Me Up" and "Ready For A Breakdown" as the two songs that best capture the band's sound, and both work the same ground: hard times met with feel-good energy, memorable melodies and choruses written to give an audience hope. ## Tulsa Sound Roots and Red Dirt Country Parks was raised in Oologah, Oklahoma, the small town northeast of Tulsa best known as the birthplace of Will Rogers. Musically he grew up in the shadow of the Tulsa Sound, the laid-back blend of rockabilly, blues and country pioneered by J.J. Cale and Leon Russell, and of Red Dirt country, the rougher-edged Oklahoma scene that prizes storytelling over radio polish. His music pulls those threads together with Americana, Southern rock and the nostalgic feel of 90s country. The result sits between the Red Dirt roads of Oklahoma and Texas and the mainstream: classic storytelling with what Parks describes as radio-ready hooks. ## From Oklahoma Country Singer to Full-Time Nashville Touring Act ![Bobby Parks with his Washburn acoustic guitar](https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/bobby-parks-guitar.webp) Parks sharpened his craft with professional music training in Hollywood, California, then settled in Nashville, Tennessee, where the band now tours full time. The live schedule covers festivals, fairs, rodeos, casinos, concert venues, corporate events and private celebrations, along with bigger stages: Texas Motor Speedway during NASCAR events, the Hard Rock in Hollywood, venues in South Lake Tahoe and [Nashville's Broadway](https://richdadmagazine.com/article/a-new-take-on-love-and-life-velvet-rodeo-s-heartstrings-hits-acn-this-july). The Hard Rock in Hollywood called his show "electrifying and unforgettable," and the touring has increasingly crossed borders. The band has performed across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Costa Rica and Europe, and this summer's UK run, which included dates in the Republic of Ireland, is the backdrop for the single's release. A Texas Radio Award winner, Parks treats the international dates as part of the same job he does at home: authentic American country music, played for whoever is in the room. ## Eight Infinity Music and Film Awards Nominations ![Bobby Parks' eight Infinity Music and Film Awards nominations, October 7-8 2026 at the Troubadour, Nashville](https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/bobby-parks-infinity-awards.webp) "Pick Me Up" has already brought Parks eight nominations at the Infinity Music and Film Awards, which take place October 7 and 8 at the Troubadour in Nashville. He is nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, Male Songwriter of the Year, Single of the Year for "Pick Me Up" and Artist of the Year in the Country Modern Mainstream category, and for the same four honors in Americana/Bluegrass/Roots. The band is managed by Phyllis Salter-Gann of Salter Gann Universal Promotions and Management LLC, and the music is on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, iHeart, YouTube, Deezer and TIDAL, with more at bobbyparksband.com. **About Bobby Parks** Bobby Parks is an American country singer, songwriter and performer from Oologah, Oklahoma, now based in Nashville, Tennessee. Fronting the Bobby Parks Band, he blends the Tulsa Sound with Red Dirt country, Americana, Southern rock and 90s country influences. A Texas Radio Award winner, he tours full time across the United States and internationally, and holds eight Infinity Music and Film Awards nominations for his single "Pick Me Up". [Website](https://www.bobbyparksband.com) ## FAQ **Q: What is Red Dirt country music?** Red Dirt is a strain of country music rooted in Oklahoma and Texas, named for the region's red soil. It favors storytelling, rough edges and live performance over commercial radio polish. Bobby Parks blends it with the Tulsa Sound and 90s country influences. **Q: What is the Tulsa Sound?** The Tulsa Sound is a laid-back mix of rockabilly, blues, swamp pop and country associated with Tulsa, Oklahoma musicians, pioneered by J.J. Cale and Leon Russell in the 1960s and 70s. Parks, raised in nearby Oologah, carries the tradition into his own writing. **Q: When is Bobby Parks' new single "Pick Me Up" released?** "Pick Me Up" is out August 7 on all major streaming platforms, released by Major Record Distribution LLC with distribution by The Orchard. Pre-orders are live on Apple Music and iTunes, and the release lands mid-way through the band's UK tour.