Wade Nichols
Nichols on The Edge of Night, January 1980
Born
Dennis Posa

(1946-10-28)October 28, 1946
DiedJanuary 28, 1985(1985-01-28) (aged 38)
Other namesDennis Parker
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
Years active1972–1985
Notable workThe Edge of Night

Dennis Posa (October 28, 1946 – January 28, 1985), also known by the performing names of Wade Nichols and Dennis Parker, was an actor and singer who started his career in adult films.[1][2]

Early life

Parker was born in Manhattan, New York, and raised in Freeport, New York.[3] He attended the Philadelphia Museum College of Art, studying furniture design.[3][4] During his stint at PMCA, he won a role in a touring company production of The Trojan Women. He later attended New York University and the Herbert Berghof Studio, where he studied acting.[3] He supported himself by working as a carpenter for several years.[4]

Career

Parker's first feature film role was in the gay adult film Boy 'Napped (1975). He subsequently appeared mostly in straight porn films shot in New York, such as Summer of Laura (1975), Jail Bait (1976), Barbara Broadcast (1977), Teenage Pajama Party (1977), Maraschino Cherry (1977), Punk Rock (1977), Take Off (1978) and Blonde Ambition (1981).[1] Parker was credited as Wade Nichols in most of the adult films in which he appeared.

In 1979, using the name Dennis Parker, he recorded a disco album on Casablanca Records, titled Like an Eagle.[3][4] The album was produced by Village People creator and producer Jacques Morali, who was Parker's boyfriend at the time.[5] He also toured Europe to promote the album.[3] He later appeared in the French film Monique that same year, with "Like an Eagle" being used as its theme song. The title track was released as a single and appears on the box set The Casablanca Records Story (1994). "New York By Night", another song recorded as Dennis Parker, peaked at No. 11 on the South African music charts in 1980.[6]

Parker joined the cast of the soap opera The Edge of Night in 1979 as Police Chief Derek Mallory. He continued in the role until 1984.[2][3][4] Seriously ill by October of that year, Parker was unable to continue working on the show, and his character was written out.

Death

Parker died on January 28, 1985.[3][7] In a tribute to Parker in a 1985 issue of Soap Opera Digest, fellow Edge of Night actor Ernie Townsend wrote, "He died in early January after a long and painful illness that took away a talent in its prime." An obituary released in Virginia stated that he died after a "brief illness, survived by his mother, brother, and partner." It was revealed later that he died of an unspecified AIDS-related illness.[2][7]

Partial filmography

Movie Title Distributor Year
Boy 'Napped Hand-In-Hand 1975
Summer of Laura VCA 1975
Bang Bang You Got It! Video-X-Pix 1976
Call Me Angel, Sir Video Home Library 1976
Odyssey: The Ultimate Trip VCX 1977
Captain Lust International Home Video Corporation 1977
Jail Bait Command Video 1976
Come to Me Air Video 1976
Punk Rock Atom 1977
Teenage Pajama Party VEP 1977
Barbara Broadcast VCA 1977
Virgin Dreams VCX 1977
The Secret Dreams of Mona Q Arrow Productions 1977
Maraschino Cherry Video-X-Pix 1977
Honeymoon Haven Video-X-Pix 1977
Sweetheart Video-X-Pix 1977
Take Off Video-X-Pix 1978
Visions Quality-X-Video 1978
Love You! Essex Video 1979
Magic Girls Horizon 1980
Beach House Caballero Home Video 1980
Blonde Ambition Video-X-Pix 1981
Hot Pursuit VCA 1983
Bizarre Thunder Ribu Video 1984
Jawbreakers Ventura 1985

References

  1. 1 2 "Unknown". Variety (daily). September 16, 1985.
  2. 1 2 3 Carter, Alan (June 17, 1989). "Timing determines 'scandal'". Asbury Park Press via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Unknown". Variety (weekly). February 6, 1985.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Durdan, Douglas (July 24, 1982). "Son's on soap, but not here". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on December 21, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  5. "Wade Nichols: 'A Galaxy of Pleasure and Pain' – His Untold Story". The Rialto Report. June 25, 2017.
  6. musicstats (July 15, 2022). "Dennis Parker (US) - SA Singles Charts". SA Singles Charts - The Weekly South African Singles Chart History. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  7. 1 2 Mulcahy, Kevin Jr. (December 1, 2011). "World AIDS Day Tribute". We Love Soaps. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
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