Parker McCollum has a busy few weeks ahead of him.
The Texas country singer won Album of the Year at the ACM Awards back in May. Next Tuesday, Nov. 10, he’s playing a special show called “Amazon Music Presents: Parker McCollum Honoring Veterans Day, Live from Texas.” It starts at 8 p.m. Central at ACL Live at The Moody Theater in Austin, and it streams on Amazon Music, Prime Video and Twitch. The show is with Under Armour, and it benefits veterans.
“Playing for the men and women who have served this country is one of the greatest honors I get as an artist,” Parker said.
At home, he’s got a full house. Parker and his wife, Hallie Ray Light McCollum, have two sons. Major Yancey McCollum was born in 2024. His little brother, Rocker Tommy Light McCollum, arrived on July 30 this year, weighing 8 pounds 7 ounces.
Parker loves being a dad, and you can see it in a sweet video he posted of himself playing songs for Major on a tiny guitar. It’s a baby Gretsch, and in the video’s title Parker calls Texas singer Wade Bowen Major’s uncle.
Parker plays songs for his little boy
So what kind of men does Parker want those boys to grow up to be?
He’s not worried about raising geniuses. Back in 2024, before Major was even born, he told Audacy’s Rob + Holly exactly what mattered to him. “He may not be very intelligent or very smart, but he will have impeccable manners and an incredible work ethic,” he said. Then he doubled down, saying “those are two things I promise he will have.”
Manners. That’s the one he keeps coming back to.
He said it again on the Jared Morris Vibe podcast, which Taste of Country reported this week. “One of my goals is to raise this kid to have impeccable manners,” Parker said. “Like, that was such a big thing when I was a kid,” he explained. “And now I’m, like, so grateful that I was raised like that.”
Where did he learn it?
Parker gives the credit to home. “That’s how I was raised and I truly, I have the greatest dad in the world,” he said. And it’s not only his dad. “I genuinely look forward to passing everything he and my grandparents and my mom taught me down to him and raising him the way I was [raised].”
His mom, Stacey Yancey, sat down for a full podcast episode about raising Parker, so you can hear the other side of the story from the woman who was there.
Parker’s mom talks about raising him
There’s one more family name tucked into Major’s. That middle name, Yancey, honors Parker’s mom and his late grandfather, Bobby Yancey. It’s part of Parker’s own full name too. And it was Hallie Ray who wanted it there.
Parker spent his summers with that grandfather, working Angus cattle, branding steers and breaking horses. “My grandfather was one of the greatest cowboys who ever lived,” Parker said. “He taught me everything I know about ranching and cowboying.”
Parker has said his song “Like a Cowboy” made him think of his grandpa. Listen with that in mind.
The song that reminds Parker of his grandfather
Put it all together and you get a pretty clear picture of the dad Parker wants to be. His grandfather taught him the ranch. His parents raised him to mind his manners. Now there are two little boys in his house who are about to learn the same lessons.
Next week he’ll be on stage in Austin for the veterans. Back home, the lessons on manners are already underway.