The Untold Saga of “St. Elmo’s Fire” and John Parr’s Incredible Comeback episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 30, 2025 · 22 MIN

The Untold Saga of “St. Elmo’s Fire” and John Parr’s Incredible Comeback

from Professor of Rock

Coming up next a story you won’t believe. Talk about an ordeal. Today’s guest, John Parr, has a massive #1 hit in 1985 that is still huge today. It was the theme to the movie St. Elmo's Fire, but the song was actually written about the power to overcome anything and was inspired by a disabled man. It not only hit #1 but was the frontrunner to win the Best Original Song Oscar that year. But then it was pulled from contention on a stupid technicality. But in the end, it raised incredible awareness and millions of dollars for people with spinal injuries. John Parr was at the pinnacle of his career, and then someone in his inner circle betrayed him, and an ongoing litigation kept him from recording music for 18 years! He had to get a regular job to make ends meet for his family and to raise his kids. But there is a happy ending. Let’s do itSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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The Untold Saga of “St. Elmo’s Fire” and John Parr’s Incredible Comeback

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