Obituary for Mimi Jo Parker

Mimi was born on September 15, 1967, in Bemidji, MN, to parents Bob and Joy Parker. She joined two sisters, Cindy and Wanda, and the family lived on a farm 10 miles outside of Clearbrook. She loved living in the country, where she put up with the unpleasant chore of egg gathering, but loved taking care of her pigs. The family often sang old country standards together, Mim providing harmonies, while Joy accompanied on the guitar or accordion. Mim was a great cook, who learned from the best–Joy regularly made delicious food for their friends, using ingredients she either had on hand, grew on the farm, or sourced from the local area. (Believe it or not, fried snapping turtle is awesome!) 

Mimi attended school in Clearbrook from kindergarten through high school, graduating in 1986 in a class of 31. She was an avid athlete, breaking school records in shot put, discus, and most points scored in a single basketball game. She also played volleyball, ran sprint relays, and played percussion in the band–a skill she took into her career as a drummer in the Duluth­-based band, Low, which she formed with her husband, fellow Clearbrook alum, Alan Sparhawk. (The two met in 4th grade.)

Mim graduated in 1986, after which she moved to Duluth to attend the U of M majoring in history and graduating in 1990. Mimi and Alan married on March 2, 1990, and started their band in 1993. As one music writer eulogized, "Her ethereal, calming voice provided a soft cushion to her husband's stormier output and the wild noise of the grunge era from which their band emerged. For three decades, she steadily, humbly co-helmed one of Minnesota's most celebrated rock groups of all time." 

Over nearly 30 years, Low performed in dive bars and notable venues all over the world, from CBGBs to Royal Albert Hall, Madison Square Garden, and Radio City Music Hall. The band released 13 studio albums, with the group's latest record, "Hey What" earning them a spot on Rolling Stones "50 Best Albums of 2021" and a nomination for best engineered album (non­classical) at the 64th annual Grammy Awards. One of their songs, "Just Like Christmas," off the band's popular 1999 Christmas album, is featured in 2022's Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

Mimi was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December of 2020. She managed her treatments with courage and grace and enjoyed a short-lived return to health during the fall of 2021 and winter of 2022, which allowed her to tour with Low throughout the -U.S., Europe, and Scandinavia. Her last show, at the Water is Life Festival on the banks of her beloved Lake Superior, was September 4, 2022.

Mimi was a respected and beloved member of the global music community. Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders tweeted, "So sad 

to hear my favorite singer Mimi Parker no longer with us," and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin dedicated his performance to her 

on the evening after she died. "We've been drawn to the music  of the great duo Low from Duluth, Minnesota," he said from the King's Theatre stage in Glasgow. "And sadly tonight we know that unfortunately, we've lost one of those two people. So we dedicate our songs tonight to Mimi." 

Mimi pronounced her name "MIM ee," but never corrected anyone who got it wrong. She loved animals and was the kind of person who wouldn't squash a bug, preferring to scoop it up and set it down gently outside. She was an avid reader who was sad 

to miss the next installment in The Outlander series, an excellent baker known for her cakes, cookies, and kouign-amanns, and a championship puzzler who cut through advanced Sudokus like butter. She wasn't one to brag, but was pretty proud of her 964-day gold-star New York Times Crossword Puzzle streak and fought to keep it going even through her sickest days. She was not one to let a hard-won streak go. She never thought of herself 

as a public figure, merely a working musician who preferred the comforts of home and family to the rigors of touring. Given her innate humility, she would have marveled at the fact that she 

was recognized by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022's "In Memoriam" section, along with music icons like Loretta Lynn, 

Olivia Newton John, and Jerry Lee Lewis. 

She is survived by her husband and musical partner Alan, daughter Hollis, and son Cyrus of Duluth, mother Joy Parker of Clearbrook, and sisters, Cindy (Don) Elam and Wanda (Tom) Larson.