Tribute to Ian Parks

by Luke Schmaltz

December 14, 2022

Ian and I met in Albuquerque, New Mexico somewhere around 1987. In 1989, he convinced me that I could be the lead singer in his punk rock band called Nothing Wonderful. Although I was tone deaf and wracked with stage fright, he helped me overcome those obstacles by sending me to music lessons and applying relentless positive reinforcement. It was through his influence that I embarked on my lifelong journey of being a songwriter, rock and roll band front man and solo acoustic performer. He began struggling with substance use (to my knowledge) around 2015 or so. In 2018, I attempted to get him into a recovery facility. Yet, because I was in Colorado and he was in California, the attempt did not take as he was not easily swayed by my phone calls alone. He passed away recently when he was in Mexico after a bad fall and subsequent complications from severe head trauma.

Luke Schmaltz

Luke Schmaltz is the principal songwriter, singer, founder and front man of Denver-based punk band King Rat. He also performs solo acoustic shoes under the moniker, Luke Schmaltz Songer / Singwriter. His singing talents are attributed to his friend and mentor, Ian Parks.