Parrish was born Ruby Joyce Wilbar on October 21, 1940 in Middlesboro, Kentucky to william Robert "Bob" Wilbar (1913-1988) and Gladys Wilbar (nee Gladys Marie Webb, 1911-1998). She had five younger siblings, sisters Barbara, Janice, and Liza and brothers James and Robert. She spent her early years in Lake City, Tennessee (now Rocky Top, Tennessee), before moving to Tecumseh, Michigan at age 11. There she graduated from high school. Parrish then attended a modeling school in Toledo, Ohio. She won a national contest for "Young Model of The Year" at a modeling school chain.
Parrish first appeared as an Actress in the Jerry Lewis movies It's Only Money (1962) and The Nutty Professor (1963), and in a small role in Harlow (1965). After some guest appearances on television series, and roles in films such as Winter A-Go-Go (1965) and Fireball 500 (1966), she co-starred with Elvis Presley in Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966). Her later film credits included roles in The Doberman Gang (1972), The Time Machine (1978) and The Devil and Max Devlin (1981).
After a long battle with ovarian cancer, she died of complications from the disease in Los Angeles, California at the age of 62 in 2003. Parrish was survived by two sisters and two brothers.
