Parker had a long and successful songwriting career which included chart hits from 1938 to 1970. In 1938 he was already considered one of England's "big five" songwriters.
Horace Heidt's version of Parker's song "The Girl In The Blue Bonnet" reached number 15 on the
Billboard charts in 1938. "I Won't Tell A Soul (I Love You)" was a number one hit for
Andy Kirk and his Twelve Clouds of Joy, spending 12 weeks on the
Billboard chart in 1939. Although "There'll Always Be an England" was released before the start of
World War II, it became an enormous success when war was declared by Britain. Parker joined the
British Army and was stationed at Roman Way Camp,
Colchester Garrison. He found the barracks too noisy and sought solitude for songwriting in a nearby
pillbox. This has been narrowed down to one of three structures: SMRs 20546/MCC4968, 20547/MCC4969, 20548/MCC4970. During the war, he also took on the role of a
censor in
British India and performed on
Radio Ceylon. Ross Parker wrote the original songs for several stage shows performed by
The Crazy Gang at the
Victoria Palace Theatre, London, in the early 1950s, including
Knights of Madness,
Ring out the Bells,
Jokers Wild and
These Foolish Kings. In 1956,
Shirley Bassey's manager Michael Sullivan commissioned Parker to write a song for the then 19-year-old Bassey. Parker wrote "
Burn My Candle", which later became Bassey's first recording. Parker wrote the lyrics for "A Song Of Joy", which was a hit for
Miguel Rios. ==Acting career==