{"id":2660,"date":"2012-10-10T19:37:27","date_gmt":"2012-10-10T19:37:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/?p=1265"},"modified":"2022-06-22T04:41:45","modified_gmt":"2022-06-22T04:41:45","slug":"gram-parsons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/totallyguitars.com\/blog\/tg-classic-blogs\/band-trivia\/gram-parsons\/","title":{"rendered":"Gram Parsons"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gram Parsons by Steve Rose\" width=\"1140\" height=\"641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/b_z4teknuWQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\nBy Stephen Rose<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/gramparsons2_small.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1275  alignleft\" style=\"margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; border-image: initial; border-width: 2px; border-color: black; border-style: solid;\" title=\"Gram Parsons\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/gramparsons2_small.jpg\" width=\"240\" height=\"340\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nGram Parsons was a country-rock pioneer who single-handedly brought country music back into the mainstream \u00a0in the face of the psychedelic excesses of the late 60\u2019s. \u00a0Before dying of a tragic drug overdose in 1973, his \u201cCosmic American Music&#8221; paved the way for the vanguard of country-rock, alt-country, and roots-rock bands that exploded onto the music scene in the early 70&#8217;s and which continue to evolve and attract new audiences today.<br \/>\nBy merging \u00a0the twang of post-war honky tonk with the hippie culture of late-\u201860s ballroom rock, Gram Parsons removed the stigma of pure country music being strictly limited to the providence of Nashville elitists, and made young people and fellow musicians alike believe that country could be cool.<br \/>\nDuring his brief time as a member of \u00a0The Byrds he steered them to the forefront of the nascent country-rock movement with the release of their landmark album Sweetheart of the Rodeo. He hung out with the Rolling Stones, influencing several of their country-flavored compositions including \u201cWild Horses,\u201d \u201cSweet Virginia,\u201d \u201cCountry Honk,\u201d \u201cDead Flowers,\u201d and \u201cLoving Cup.\u201d After leaving The Byrds, Parsons and fellow-Byrd Chris Hillman founded The Flying Burrito Brothers and released two seminal country-rock albums including the classic The Gilded Palace of Sin. As a final contribution he mentored Emmylou Harris and introduced her talents to the masses as a member of his Fallen Angels band.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/gram-parsons-1969-small.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1328\" style=\"border-image: initial; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; border-width: 2px; border-color: black; border-style: solid;\" title=\"Gram Parsons\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/gram-parsons-1969-small.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"384\" \/><\/a>Gram Parsons was born in 1946 in Winter Haven, Florida, to a family who made their fortune in the Florida citrus industry.\u00a0 He spent his early years growing up in Waycross, Georgia, and decided to become a musician after attending an Elvis Presley concert.\u00a0 In 1956, he formed a rock &amp; roll band called The Pacers, who played mostly Buddy Holley covers.\u00a0 In 1958, he formed a folk group called The Legends, which included Jim Stafford, and Kent Lavoie (who would later gain fame as Lobo).<br \/>\nTragedy struck during the Christmas holiday in 1959 when his father Cecil \u201cCoon Dog\u201d Connors &#8211; a decorated World War II flying ace &#8211; committed suicide.\u00a0 His family moved back to Winter Haven, and a year later Gram\u2019s mother married Robert Parsons, prompting Gram to have his name legally changed to Gram Parsons. [Robert Parsons owned a club in Winter Haven where Gram&#8217;s band, The Legends, headlined.]<br \/>\nIn 1963, Gram Parsons joined a group called The Shilos who performed throughout Florida and cut several demos.\u00a0 Heavily influenced by The Kingston Trio and The Journeymen, the band made several forays into New York City\u2019s Greenwich Village, including appearances at \u00a0The Bitter End.<br \/>\nIn 1965, tragedy struck a second time when on the day of his high school graduation, Gram&#8217;s mother Avis died in the hospital from cirrhosis, the result of sever alcoholism.<br \/>\nAfter graduating high school, Parsons briefly attended Harvard University, and became close friends with his freshman advisor, Reverend James (\u201cJet\u201d) Ellison Thomas.\u00a0 It was there that he met John Nuese, a guitarist in a local band called The Trolls, who turned him on to the \u201cBakersfield Sound\u201d of Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/gram_isb_small1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-1302\" style=\"border-image: initial; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; border-width: 2px; border-color: black; border-style: solid;\" title=\"International Submarine Band\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/gram_isb_small1.jpg\" width=\"251\" height=\"310\" \/><\/a>Parsons dropped out of Harvard after one semester, then in 1966 he and Nuese moved to New York City where they formed The International Submarine Band with bassist Ian Dunlop, and drummer Mickey Gauvin. \u00a0While in New York they recorded two singles for Columbia Records which failed to chart.<br \/>\nIn 1967, the band relocated to Los Angeles and signed a contract with Lee Hazelwood\u2019s LHI label.\u00a0 In early 1968, they released their first album \u201cSafe at Home,\u201d featuring John Nuese on guitar, Chris Etheridge on bass and Jon Corneal on drums.\u00a0 It contained one of Parson\u2019s best-known songs, \u201cLuxury Liner,\u201d and an early version of \u201cDo You Know How It Feels.\u201d\u00a0 However, the record\u2019s release was delayed several months, by which time the group disbanded.<br \/>\n[Lee Hazelwood became well known in the 60&#8217;s for his work with Nancy Sinatra, including writing and producing her hit &#8220;These Boots Are Made For Walkin&#8217;.&#8221; He also performed several duets with her including &#8220;Summer Wine,&#8221; &#8220;Jackson,&#8221; and &#8220;Some Velvet Morning.&#8221;]<br \/>\nLater that year Parsons was offered an audition with The Byrds by bassist Chris Hillman, who had met him the previous year. Parsons joined the group in the spring of 1968 and persuaded the band to record their next album in Nashville, resulting in the country-rock classic \u201cSweetheart of the Rodeo.\u201d\u00a0 Chris Hillman recalls, &#8220;We were hiring a keyboard player, but we got George Jones in a rhinestone suit.&#8221;<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sweetheart-of-the-rodeo-small.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1305\" style=\"border-image: initial; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; border-width: 2px; border-color: black; border-style: solid;\" title=\"Sweetheart of the Rodeo\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sweetheart-of-the-rodeo-small.jpg\" width=\"275\" height=\"275\" \/><\/a>Sweetheart of the Rodeo\u00a0was originally conceived by band leader Roger McGuinn as a sprawling, double album\u00a0history of American popular music. \u00a0However, McGuinn&#8217;s original album concept was jettisoned in favor of a fully fledged country project, which included the Parsons&#8217; compositions \u201cHickory Wind\u201d and &#8220;One Hundred Years from Now.&#8221; \u00a0Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman co-wrote \u201cI Am A Pilgrim.\u201d\u00a0 Other songs were covers written by Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Merle Haggard, and The Louvin Brothers. \u00a0The album featured Nashville session players including Lloyd Green on pedal steel, and future Byrd Clarence White on guitar.<br \/>\nBefore leaving Nashville, The Byrds performed a two-song set at the Grand Ole Opry.\u00a0 They played Merle Haggard\u2019s \u201cSing Me Back Home,\u201d and Gram Parsons\u2019 \u201cHickory Wind.\u201d\u00a0 The criticism they received from the Nashville community, and DJ Ralph Emery in particular, was fierce.\u00a0 In response, Parsons and McGuinn co-wrote the song \u201cDrug Store Truck Driving Man.\u201d<br \/>\nWhile working with The Byrds, Parsons was still under contract to LHI Records. Consequently, Lee Hazlewood contested Parsons&#8217; appearance on the album and threatened legal action.\u00a0As a result, McGuinn ended up replacing three of Parsons&#8217; lead vocals\u00a0with his own singing on the finished album, a move that still rankled Parsons as late as 1973, when he told Rolling Stone journalist Cameron Crowe in an interview that McGuinn &#8220;erased it and did the vocals himself and fucked it up.&#8221;\u00a0 The album featured Parsons as lead vocalist on two songs &#8220;You&#8217;re Still on My Mind&#8221; and &#8220;Hickory Wind&#8221;.<br \/>\nAlbum producer Gary Usher would later put a different slant on the events surrounding the removal of Parsons&#8217; vocals by telling his biographer Stephen J. McParland that the alterations to the album arose out of creative concerns, not legal ones; Usher and the band were both worried that Parsons&#8217; contributions were dominating the record\u00a0and so, his vocals were excised in an attempt to increase McGuinn and Hillman&#8217;s presence on the album.<br \/>\n[In 2003, the expanded Columbia Legacy Edition of Sweetheart of the Rodeo included Parsons\u2019 original vocals for \u201cThe Christian Life,\u201d \u201cLife In Prison,\u201d \u201cYou Don\u2019t Miss Your Water,\u201d and \u201cOne Hundred Years From Now.\u201d]<br \/>\nUpon its release in August 1968, Sweetheart of the Rodeo officially launched the country-rock movement. Two of Parsons&#8217; songs from the album, &#8220;Hickory Wind&#8221; and &#8220;One Hundred Years from Now,&#8221; remain classics of the genre.<br \/>\n[Other notable country-rock albums released during this period include The Band\u2019s \u2018Music From The Big Pink&#8217; (July 1968); Gene Clark\u2019s \u2018The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard &amp; Clark&#8217; (October 1968); The Beau Brummels \u2018Bradley\u2019s Barn&#8217; (October 1968); The Dillards\u2019 \u2018Wheatstraw Suite&#8217; (1968); Linda Ronstadt\u2019s \u2018Hand Sown\u2026Home Grown\u2019 (March 1969); Bob Dylan\u2019s \u2018Nashville Skyline&#8217; (April 1969); and Poco&#8217;s &#8216;Pickin&#8217; Up The Pieces (May 1969).]<br \/>\nAlthough Parsons was an equal contributor to The Byrds, he was not regarded as a full member by Columbia Records.\u00a0 He was hired as a sideman and received a salary from Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman. \u00a0In later years, this led Hillman to state &#8220;Gram was hired. He was not a member of The Byrds, ever\u00a0\u2014 he was on salary. That was the only way we could get him to turn up.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/parsons_richards-small1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1310\" style=\"border-image: initial; margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 6px; border-width: 2px; border-color: black; border-style: solid;\" title=\"Keith Richards and Gram Parsons\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/parsons_richards-small1.jpg\" width=\"450\" height=\"301\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>While The Byrds were touring in England in the summer of 1968, Parsons became acquainted with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. \u00a0He had accompanied the two on an outing to Stonehenge\u00a0(along with McGuinn and Hillman) in the English county of Wiltshire, where Richards had a house near the ancient site.<br \/>\nAs The Byrds were preparing to depart England and embark on a South African tour, Parsons left the group, citing an opposition to that country\u2019s apartheid policies.\u00a0 He stayed behind in England and developed a close friendship with Keith Richards over the next few years.\u00a0 According to Stones&#8217; confidant and close friend of Parsons, Phil Kaufman, the two would sit around for hours, playing obscure country records and trading off on various songs with their guitars.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/gram857-small4.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-1333\" style=\"border-image: initial; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; border-width: 2px; border-color: black; border-style: solid;\" title=\"Gram Parsons\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/gram857-small4.png\" width=\"250\" height=\"356\" \/><\/a>In late 1968, Gram Parsons returned to California and reunited with Chris Hillman to form The Flying Burrito Brothers.\u00a0 They shared a bachelor pad (dubbed Burrito Manor) in the San Fernando Valley, where they composed classics such as \u201cChristine\u2019s Tune,\u201d \u201cSin City,\u201d and \u201cHot Burrito #2.\u201d\u00a0 Parsons had already started working on new material with bassist Chris Ethridge (from The International Submarine Band).\u00a0 They rounded out the group with Sneaky Pete Kleinow on pedal steel, and used session drummers for their first recordings (later Michael Clarke of The Byrds was added on drums). \u00a0Gram outfitted the band in iconic \u201cNudie\u201d suits emblazoned with custom hippie accoutrements.\u00a0 He described their music as \u201ca Southern soul group playing country and gospel-oriented music with a steel guitar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">*<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/the-gilded-palace-of-sin-small.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1314\" style=\"border-image: initial; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; border-width: 2px; border-color: black; border-style: solid;\" title=\"The Gilded Palace of Sin\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/the-gilded-palace-of-sin-small.jpg\" width=\"275\" height=\"275\" \/><\/a>In 1969, The Flying Burrito Brothers released their first album, &#8220;The Gilded Palace of Sin,&#8221; a modernized version of the Bakersfield Sound made popular by Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.\u00a0 Along with Parsons-Hillman originals such as \u201cChristine\u2019s Tune,\u201d \u201cSin City,\u201d \u201cMy Uncle,\u201d \u201cWheels,\u201d \u201cJuanita,\u201d \u201cHot Burrito #1\u201d (co-written with Chris Etheridge), \u201cHot Burrito #2,\u201d and \u201cHippie Boy,\u201d were versions of soul\u00a0classics &#8220;The Dark End of the Street,&#8221; and &#8220;Do Right Woman&#8221; (the latter featuring David Crosby on high harmony). [The gospel soul influence on this album likely comes from Parson\u2019s frequent jamming with Delaney and Bonnie, and Keith Richards.]<br \/>\nThough not a commercial success,\u00a0Gilded\u00a0was measured by rock critic Robert Christgau as &#8220;an ominous, obsessive, tongue-in-cheek country-rock synthesis, absorbing rural and urban, traditional and contemporary, at point of impact.&#8221;<br \/>\nAlthough the album only sold a few thousand copies, the group gathered a dedicated cult following that was mainly composed of fellow musicians, including the Rolling Stones. \u00a0By this time, Parsons had begun hanging around the Rolling Stones frequently, becoming close friends with Keith Richards. Parsons had experimented with drugs and alcohol before he met Richards, but in 1969 he dove deep into substance abuse, which he supported with his sizable trust fund. [Parson&#8217;s trust fund allowed him the luxury to pursue his country muse without the financial constraints and obligations that compell most working musicians to perform more commercially viable styles of music.]<br \/>\nEmbarking on a cross-country tour via train, Parsons was frequently indulging in massive quantities of LSD and cocaine, so his performances were erratic at best, while much of the band&#8217;s repertoire consisted of vintage honky tonk\u00a0and soul standards, but few originals.<br \/>\nAfter returning to Los Angeles, the group recorded &#8220;The Train Song&#8221;, written during an infrequent songwriting session on the train.\u00a0 Although the Burritos requested that the remnants of their publicity budget be diverted to promotion of the single, it also flopped.\u00a0 Chris Ethridge departed shortly thereafter \u2013 discouraged by poor attendance at their shows &#8211; and was replaced by lead guitarist Bernie Leadon (soon to be a founding member of The Eagles), at which point Hillman reverted back to bass.<br \/>\nBy this time, Parsons&#8217; use of drugs\u00a0had increased to the extent that new songs were rare and much of his time was diverted to partying with the Stones &#8211; who briefly relocated to America in the summer of 1969 to finish their forthcoming Let It Bleed\u00a0album and prepare for an autumn cross-country tour. [The singer&#8217;s dedication to the Rolling Stones was rewarded when the Burrito Brothers were booked as the opening act of the infamous Altamont Music Festival in December 1969.]<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/burritodeluxe-small.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-1316\" style=\"border-image: initial; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; border-width: 2px; border-color: black; border-style: solid;\" title=\"Burrito Deluxe\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/burritodeluxe-small.jpg\" width=\"275\" height=\"275\" \/><\/a>In April 1970, The Flying Burrito Brothers released their second album, entitled Burrito Deluxe.\u00a0 Most of the material was hastily written in the studio by Leadon, Hillman, and Parsons, with two\u00a0Gilded Palace of Sin\u00a0outtakes thrown into the mix.<br \/>\nThe album is considered less inspired than its predecessor.\u00a0 But subject to taste, neither album really has a weak track.\u00a0 Parsons-Hillman originals include the opener \u201cLazy Days,\u201d \u201cHigh Fashion Queen,\u201d \u201cMan in the Fog,\u201d \u201cCody Cody,\u201d and \u201cDown in the Churchyard.\u00a0 Bernie Leadon co-wrote \u201cOlder Guys,\u201d and contributed the original \u201cGod\u2019s Own Singer.\u201d The album is notable for its take on Jagger and Richards&#8217; &#8220;Wild Horses&#8221;\u2014the first recording released of this famous song. [Parsons was inspired to cover the song after hearing an advance tape of the\u00a0Rolling Stones\u2019 Sticky Fingers album sent to Sneaky Pete Kleinow. Jagger consented to the cover version, so long as the Flying Burrito Brothers did not issue it as a single.]<br \/>\nBurrito Deluxe, like its predecessor, underperformed commercially.\u00a0 Later in 1970, Parsons had a motorcycle accident, and disenchanted with the band, he left the Burritos in mutual agreement with Chris Hillman. [Hillman recorded two more LPs with the Burritos before departing in 1972 to join Stephen Stills in Manassas.]<br \/>\nBy the end of 1970, Gram Parsons signed with A&amp;M Records and recorded a handful of songs with producer Terry Melcher but cancelled his intended solo debut in early 1971. \u00a0He moved to Europe with model and aspiring actress Gretchen Burrell, and hung out with The Rolling Stones &#8211; living with Keith Richards at Villa Nellcote in France\u00a0during the sessions for Exile on Main Street. [Richards concedes that it is very likely Parsons is among the chorus of singers on &#8220;Sweet Virginia.\u201d]<br \/>\nLater in 1971, Gram Parsons married girlfriend Gretchen Burrell at his stepfather\u2019s New Orleans estate in a ceremony performed by his Harvard advisor Jet Thomas.\u00a0 They went to Disneyland for their honeymoon, then traveled Europe and visited old friends including bassist Ric Grech (Family, Blind Faith, Traffic) who helped Parsons kick his heroin habit.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/emmy_gram2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1319\" style=\"border-image: initial; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; border-width: 2px; border-color: black; border-style: solid;\" title=\"Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/emmy_gram2.jpg\" width=\"320\" height=\"316\" \/><\/a>Parsons returned to the United States for a one-off concert with the Burritos, then on Chris Hillman\u2019s recommendation attended an Emmylou Harris show at a small club inWashington, D.C.\u00a0 Parsons and Harris became friends, and in the summer of 1972 he asked her out to California to do harmonies on his first solo album. \u00a0Also recruited for the album were Ric Grech on bass, and three members of Elvis Presleys band: guitarist James Burton (well known in the late &#8217;50s as a member of Ricky Nelson\u2019s band), Glen D Hardin and Ronnie Tutt. \u00a0Barry Tashian (Barry and the Remains) joined Emmylou Harris on vocals.\u00a0 Parsons asked Merle Haggard to produce the album, but Haggard turned the offer down.\u00a0 Instead, Parsons and Ric Grech co-produced the album, with assistance in the studio from Hugh Davis, Merle Haggard\u2019s engineer. [Burton, Hardin and Tashian would each go on to become members of Emmylou Harris\u2019 Hot Band.]<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/GP-small.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-1321\" style=\"border-image: initial; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; border-width: 2px; border-color: black; border-style: solid;\" title=\"GP\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/GP-small.jpg\" width=\"275\" height=\"275\" \/><\/a>The resulting album, G.P., released in January 1973 on Reprise Records, was primarily comprised of Parsons\u2019 originals such as \u201cStill Feeling Blue,\u201d \u201cShe\u201d (co-written with Chris Etheridge), \u201cThe New Soft Shoe,\u201d \u201cHow Much I Lied,\u201d and \u201cBig Mouth Blues.\u201d Ric Grech contributed \u201cKiss the Children.\u201d The album also contained covers of Joyce Allsup\u2019s \u201cWe\u2019ll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning,\u201d Tompall Glaser\u2019s \u201cStreets of Baltimore,\u201d and a song by The J. Geils Band, \u201cCry One More Time.\u201d\u00a0 The album masterfully achieved Parson\u2019s vision of making pure country music accessible for the masses.\u00a0 However, despite receiving enthusiastic reviews it failed to chart.<br \/>\nAfter G.P.&#8217;s release, Gram Parsons and his band, The Fallen Angels, hit the road to promote the album.\u00a0 Replacing James Burton on the tour was Colorado-based guitarist Jock Bartley (soon to gain fame with Firefall).\u00a0 Managing the tour was Phil Kaufman, who had met Parsons while working for the Rolling Stones in 1968. [Neil Young and Linda Ronstadt sat in with the group for a televised performance at Liberty Hall in Houston.]<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/grievous-angel-small.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1324\" style=\"border-image: initial; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; border-width: 2px; border-color: black; border-style: solid;\" title=\"Grievous Angel\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/grievous-angel-small.jpg\" width=\"275\" height=\"281\" \/><\/a>After the tour was completed, Gram Parsons returned to the studio to record his second album, Grievous Angel (also featuring Emmylou Harris and James Burton).\u00a0 Parsons contributed three new songs to the album, &#8220;Return of the Grievous Angel,\u201d &#8220;In My Hour of Darkness,\u201d and &#8220;Ooh Las Vegas&#8221; (co-written with Ric Grech).\u00a0 The covers he chose served to reflect his now maturing vision for how country, rock and soul could be combined to create a new style of American music.\u00a0 Highlights include \u201cHearts On Fire,\u201d \u201cI Can\u2019t Dance,\u201d \u201cBrass Buttons,\u201d and his classic duet with Emmylou Harris \u201cLove Hurts.\u201d<br \/>\nThe album was completed towards the end of summer, and Parsons celebrated by taking a vacation near the Joshua Tree National Monument in California, where he spent most of his time consuming drugs and alcohol. On September 19, 1973, he overdosed on morphine and tequila in a hotel room at the Joshua Tree Inn, and was pronounced dead at the age of 26.\u00a0 His body was to be flown back to New Orleans for burial. However, Phil Kaufman stole the body at the LAX airport and carried it back out to the Joshua Tree desert, where he attempted to cremate the body by pouring 5 gallons of gasoline into the open coffin and igniting it with a match. (Phil Kaufman later revealed that the cremation had fulfilled a pact he and Parsons had made.)\u00a0 Kaufman was charged with misdemeanor theft of a coffin and fined $708.<br \/>\nGrievous Angel was released posthumously in January 1974 and met with a similar reception to the previous album, peaking at number 195 on the Billboard chart.\u00a0[In 1976, three additional tracks from Parsons\u2019 last sessions with Emmylou Harris were included on a posthumous collection,\u00a0entitled &#8216;Sleepless Nights.&#8217;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/egp1.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1330\" style=\"border-image: initial; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; border-width: 2px; border-color: black; border-style: solid;\" title=\"Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/egp1.jpeg\" width=\"434\" height=\"225\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Emmylou Harris was devastated by Gram Parsons\u2019 death, and found herself at an emotional and musical crossroads. \u00a0She eventually carried on with her own version of Parsons&#8217; musical vision, and has continued to champion his work throughout her career, being instrumental in bringing attention to his achievements.<br \/>\nHarris has covered a number of Parsons&#8217; songs over the years including &#8220;Hickory Wind&#8221;, &#8220;Wheels&#8221;, &#8220;Sin City&#8221;, &#8220;Luxury Liner&#8221;, and &#8220;Hot Burrito #2&#8221;. \u00a0\u00a0Her earliest signature song,\u00a0and arguably her most personal one, &#8220;Boulder to Birmingham,&#8221; (from her 1975 album Pieces of the Sky), was written shortly after Gram&#8217;s death and showed the depth of her shock and pain at losing Parsons.\u00a0 Her 1985 album &#8216;The Ballad of Sally Rose&#8217; is an original concept album that includes many allusions to Parsons in its narrative.\u00a0 In addition, her song &#8220;The Road&#8221; (from her 2011 album Hard Bargain) is a tribute to Gram Parsons.<br \/>\nSince his death, Parsons legacy continues to grow, as both country and rock musicians build on the foundation of music he left behind. \u00a0His posthumous honors include the Americana Music Association&#8217;s\u00a0&#8220;President&#8217;s Award&#8221; for 2003; and a ranking at #87 on Rolling Stone&#8217;s\u00a0list of the &#8220;100 Greatest Artists of All Time.\u00a0 In the Rolling Stone essay, Keith Richards\u00a0notes that Parsons&#8217; recorded music output was &#8220;pretty minimal.&#8221; But nevertheless, Parsons &#8220;effect on country music is enormous. This is why we&#8217;re talking about him now.&#8221;<br \/>\nOther country-influenced bands that followed in Parson&#8217;s footsteps include Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1967), The Band (1968), Allman Brothers (1969), Linda Ronstadt (1969), Poco (1969), ZZ Top (1970), Willie Nelson (1971), Loggins &amp; Messina (1971), New Riders of the Purple Sage (1971), Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen (1971), The Eagles (1972), Pure Prairie League (1972), Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973), Marshall Tucker (1973), Ozark Mountain Daredevils (1973), Amazing Rhythm Aces (1975), Firefall (1976), Lucinda Williams (1979), Blasters (1980), Rank &amp; File (1982), Los Lobos (1984), Steve Earle (1986), Jayhawks (1986), BoDeans (1986), Desert Rose Band (1987), Kentucky Headhunters (1989), Uncle Tupelo (1990), Spanic Boys (1990), The Mavericks (1991), Golden Smog (1992), Wilco (1995), Son Volt (1995), Whiskeytown (1996), BR5-49 (1996), Red Meat (1997), Railroad Earth (2001), and The National (2001).<br \/>\nIn 1974, The Eagles included the song &#8220;My Man&#8221;, a tribute to Gram Parsons written by Bernie Leadon, on their 1974 album On The \u00a0Border.\u00a0[Leadon was a member of the Flying Burrito Brothers during the late 1960s and early 1970s.]<br \/>\nIn 1993, Rhino released \u201cConmemorativo &#8211; A Tribute to Gram Parsons,\u201d which includes recordings by Bob Mould, Victoria Williams, Uncle Tupelo, and The Mekons.<br \/>\nIn 1997, Rhino released Live 1973, featuring Gram Parsons and The Fallen Angels recorded before an enthusiastic studio audience at the Ultrasonic Recording Studios in Long Island, New York, and broadcast live on WLIR-FM.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/gram-parsons-live-1973-small.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1400\" style=\"border-image: initial; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; border-width: 2px; border-color: black; border-style: solid;\" title=\"Gram Parsons Live 1973\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/gram-parsons-live-1973-small.jpg\" width=\"275\" height=\"275\" \/><\/a>Live 1973 finds Parsons and his band playing with fire and looseness, especially Neil Flanz on pedal steel, Jock Bartley on guitar, and the wonderful Emmylou Harris harmonizing so passionately with Gram&#8217;s lead vocals. \u00a0Most of the material on Live 1973 comes from Parsons&#8217; two solo albums,\u00a0and his groundbreaking work with the Byrds and Flying Burritos Brothers. \u00a0Still, there are a few noteworthy additions to the canon, namely an urgent reading of \u00a0Merle Haggard&#8217;s\u00a0\u00a0&#8220;California Cottonfields;&#8221; a roughshod &#8217;50s-rock medley; \u00a0and the relatively obscure sacred tune &#8220;Country Baptizing,&#8221; which was written by North Carolina fiddler Jim Shumate (a onetime member of both Bill Monroe&#8217;s Blue Grass Boys, \u00a0and then Flatt &amp; Scrugg&#8217;s Foggy Mountain Boys).<br \/>\nIn 1999, Emmylou Harris produced the Gram Parsons tribute album \u201cReturn of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute To Gram Parsons.\u00a0 It features performances by Emmylou Harris, Beck, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello, Chris Hillman, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, and Wilco.<br \/>\nBetween 1996 and 2006, a music festival called Gram Fest, or the Cosmic American Music Festival, was held annually in honor of Parsons in Joshua Tree, California. The show featured tunes written by Gram Parsons and Gene Clark as well as influential songs and musical styles from other artists that were part of that era. Performers were also encouraged to showcase their own material. The underlying theme of the event is to inspire the performers to take these musical styles to the next level of the creative process. Past concerts have featured such notable artists as Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Chris Ethridge, Spooner Oldham, Counting Crows,\u00a0Barry &amp; Holly Tashian, George Tomsco, Lucinda Williams, Phil Kaufman (&#8220;The Road Mangler&#8221;), and Ben Fong-Torres.<br \/>\nIn 2000, Cameron Crowe included a brief tribute to Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris practicing together in their hotel room at the Hollywood Hyatt House (&#8220;riot house&#8221;) in his film Almost Famous.<br \/>\nIn 2006, Gandulf Hennig directed a documentary film titled\u00a0Gram Parsons: Fallen Angel.<br \/>\nIn 2007, Amoeba Records released Archives No. 1: Gram Parsons with the Flying Burrito Brothers, Live at the Avalon Ballroom 1969.<br \/>\nIn February 2008, Gram&#8217;s prot\u00e9g\u00e9e, Emmylou Harris, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. [Despite his influence, however, Parsons has yet to be inducted.]\u00a0 The working relationship between Harris and Parsons is of great importance in country and country-rock music history. Parsons offered Harris a study in true country music, introducing her to artists like The Louvin Brothers, and provided her with a musical identity; while Harris&#8217;s harmony and duet vocals were lauded by those who heard them, and helped inspire Parsons&#8217; performances.<br \/>\nIn November 2009, the musical theatre production\u00a0Grievous Angel: The Legend of Gram Parsons\u00a0premiered, starring Anders Drerup as Gram Parsons and Kelly Prescott as Emmylou Harris.\u00a0Directed by Micheal Bate and co-written by Bate and David McDonald, the production was inspired by a March 1973 interview that Bate conducted with Parsons, which became Parsons&#8217; last recorded conversation.<br \/>\nIn 2011, Hip-O Select released Authorized Bootleg: Fillmore East NY Late Show, a live concert from November 1970 featuring Chris Hillman, Bernie Leadon, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, and Michael Clarke.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/gramparsons2-small1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1348\" style=\"border-image: initial; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; border-width: 2px; border-color: black; border-style: solid;\" title=\"Gram Parsons \" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.totallyguitars.com\/thelisteningpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/gramparsons2-small1.jpg\" width=\"450\" height=\"358\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Video<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Flying Burrito Brothers \u2013 Christine\u2019s Tune<br \/>\n<a href=\"httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BITiY8M_oDo&amp;feature=player_embedded\">httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BITiY8M_oDo&amp;feature=player_embedded<\/a><br \/>\nFlying Burrito Brothers &#8211; Hot Burrito #1<br \/>\n<a href=\"httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Zg2fJkbpmXs\">httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Zg2fJkbpmXs<\/a><br \/>\nFlying Burrito Brothers &#8211; Altamont (Dec 6, 1969)<br \/>\n<a href=\"httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hIgMN7Kd7u8&amp;feature=g-vrec\">httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hIgMN7Kd7u8&amp;feature=g-vrec<\/a><br \/>\nFlying Burrito Brothers \u2013 Older Guys<br \/>\n<a href=\"httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6bmcT4qieI4&amp;feature=related\">httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6bmcT4qieI4&amp;feature=related<\/a><br \/>\nChris Hillman on Gram Parsons<br \/>\n<a href=\"httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_ofYCG_OR0k&amp;feature=related\">httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_ofYCG_OR0k&amp;feature=related<\/a><br \/>\nThe Flying Burrito Brothers &#8211; Six Days on the Road (1971)<br \/>\n<a href=\"httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BwPTYimAE7E&amp;feature=related\">httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BwPTYimAE7E&amp;feature=related<\/a><br \/>\nEmmylou Harris on Gram Parsons<br \/>\n<a href=\":httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BtSw3CR1Xmo&amp;feature=related&quot;\">httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BtSw3CR1Xmo&amp;feature=related<\/a><br \/>\nGram Parsons &#8211; How Did You Meet Emmylou Harris<br \/>\n<a href=\"httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BentUYX_OyA&amp;feature=player_embedded\">httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BentUYX_OyA&amp;feature=player_embedded<\/a><br \/>\nGram Parsons &amp; Emmylou Harris &#8211; Big Mouth Blues (Liberty Hall, 1973)<br \/>\n<a href=\"httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6koAGZYyL_w\">httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6koAGZYyL_w<\/a><br \/>\nGram Parsons and Emmylou Harris &#8211; Drug Store Truck Driving Man (Boston, 1973)<br \/>\n<a href=\"httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=v9_k1ypXStQ\">httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=v9_k1ypXStQ<\/a><br \/>\nGram Parsons and Emmylou Harris &#8211; A Song For You (New York, 1973)<br \/>\n<a href=\"httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=adkTrPJJWnM&amp;feature=related\">httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=adkTrPJJWnM&amp;feature=related<\/a><br \/>\nKeith Richards on Gram Parsons<br \/>\n<a href=\"httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LlczEy9-aZM&amp;feature=related\">httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LlczEy9-aZM&amp;feature=related<\/a><br \/>\nGram Parsons &amp; Keith Richard \u2013 Wild Horses<br \/>\n<a href=\"httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=8I48TGYnVUY&amp;feature=related\">httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=8I48TGYnVUY&amp;feature=related<\/a><br \/>\nKeith Richard \u2013 Wild Horses<br \/>\n<a href=\"httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DrGVTuVepro&amp;feature=player_embedded\">httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DrGVTuVepro&amp;feature=player_embedded<\/a><br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Stephen Rose Gram Parsons was a country-rock pioneer who single-handedly brought country music back into the mainstream \u00a0in the face of the psychedelic excesses of the late 60\u2019s. \u00a0Before dying of a tragic drug overdose in 1973, his \u201cCosmic American Music&#8221; paved the way for the vanguard of country-rock, alt-country, and roots-rock bands that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3502,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2276],"tags":[2332,2333,2334,2335,2336,2337,2338,898,2339,729,417],"class_list":["post-2660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-band-trivia","tag-alt-country","tag-chris-hillman","tag-country-rock","tag-emmylou-harris","tag-flying-burrito-brothers","tag-gram-parsons","tag-roots-rock","tag-byrds","tag-country","tag-keith-richards","tag-rolling-stones"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Gram Parsons - On The 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