Mrs Parsons paid a visit to Ena Sharples when Ena took an interest in her son Tony's talent with the harmonium in August 1970. Mrs Parsons didn't want to encourage Tony musically and was prepared for an argument with Ena, whose reputation for not minding her own business preceded her, but Ena only wanted to know why she was so against Tony pursuing a career in music.
Over tea, Mrs Parsons told Ena that her father was an accountant and that she'd broken an engagement to one of his junior partners to take up with Phil Parsons, who played saxophone for a dance band. When Tony was seven months old, Phil walked out on them for one of his girlfriends and they never heard from him again. Mrs Parsons told Tony his dad was dead and they moved into a flat above a shop in Victoria Street. She would do anything to stop Tony following in his father's footsteps, even if it meant suppressing his talents. Friendly but determined that Tony should be allowed to receive harmonium lessons, Ena reminded Mrs Parsons that he was her son too and warned her about living in the past. Her attitude softening, Mrs Parsons had another drink of tea with Ena.
After her chat with Ena, Mrs Parsons let Tony accept a scholarship at a music college. The following year, she and Ena went together to Tony's first public concert at the college.