Gram Parsons

November 5th, 1946- September 19th, 1973

Biographical Overview:

Born in Winter Hawk, FL- Raised in Waycross, GA with the name Ingram Cecil Connor III Father, Cecil Coon Dog Connor and Mother, Avis Snivley Connor Mother was heiress to citrus growing fortune Both parents were alcoholics Gram attended the prestigious Bolles preparatory school in Jacksonville, FL His father committed suicide in 1958, his mother remarried Robert Parsons and then died from an alcohol related death in 1965

Harvard and Early Music Career

After high school, Gram attended Harvard University for one semester While at Harvard, Gram discovered his love for country music and began listening to artists such as Merle Haggard, George Jones, etc Gram formed the International Submarine Band with other members of the Boston folk scene before moving to New York and then Los Angeles The International Submarine Band was a heavily countryinfluenced Rock n Roll band.

The band immediately broke up after releasing one unsuccessful debut album

The Byrds/Early LA Years

Gram continued to play music after moving to LA where he met original Byrds member, Chris Hillman in a bank in Hollywood Hillman invited Parsons to audition for an open keyboard slot in the Byrds

Parsons got the job but took over as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitar player for the band.

Sweetheart of the Rodeo

Gram immediately pushed his country influence into the already established rock band The band liked the new sound that nobody else was doing and the traveled to Nashville to record a heavily country influenced, Sweetheart of the Rodeo.

Though Gram was the lead vocalist on the entire album, he was still contractually obligated to his previous record deal and Parsons vocals were stripped from the re-release of the album

"He loved country music, but he really didn't like the country music business and didn't think it should be angled just at Nashville. The music's bigger than that. It should touch everybody." - Keith Richards

Hickory Wind

Said to be one of Parsons greatest songs, recorded with the Byrds Listen for country style instrumentation and vocal harmonies http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJKRA1ZIeiM

Gram and the Rolling Stones

Parsons only spent a few months with the Byrds and during that time befriended the Rolling Stones, primarily Keith Richards While in London writing with Richards, Gram refused to travel to a show in South Africa with the Byrds, allegedly because of his discontent with Apartheid

The Byrds went to South Africa without Gram and left him to hang out in Europe with the Rolling Stones. Naturally, he was fired from the Byrds.

The Flying Burrito Brothers

Pioneers of the Country-Rock sound. After Gram was kicked out of the Byrds, founding member and bassist, Chris Hillman also left the band to pursue a new project with Parsons

Other members included: Sneaky Pete Kleinow and Chris Ethridge

The band underwent countless personnel changes before and after Parsons departed due to disagreements amongst members.
The band appeared on several live rock n roll live concerts including the Rolling Stones, Gimmie Shelter documentary.

Gram was perpetually spiraling down a selfdestructive path through the use of pills and alcohol but continued to make waves in the LA music scene despite burning bridges with many musical colleagues

Some artists directly influenced by Parsons:

Ryan Adams Emmylou Harris Steve Earle Dwight Yoakam The Eagles Jackson Browne Fleetwood Mac Linda Ronstadt Lucinda Williams Etc

(Source; BBC4 History of Country Music)

Solo Career

Gram discovered Emmylou Harris, a Southern-raised folk singer who was new to the west coast.
She became his vocal partner in the recording of his two solo albums, both of which received good reviews but did not chart highly. Grams employed session player and former Elvis Presley guitar player James Burton to play on his records with the rest of his band.

The band went on a sloppy, drug induced cross country tour which proved to be a total disaster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAp4JD4tC7k

Death

Gram died of a drug overdose on September 19th, 1973 in room number 8 at the Joshua Tree Inn He had just finished recording his second solo album so he and some friends went out to their favorite place in the desert to write songs and party.

**Heres where it gets weird**

Years earlier, Gram and road-manager Phil Kaufman made an agreement that whoever dies first, the other will take the body to Joshua Tree and burn it. Grams body was being shipped back to his step-father in New Orleans when Kaufman stole a hearse, broke into LAX and stole the casket with Parsons body. Kaufman and another person, (it has never been confirmed who), drove the body back to Joshua Tree, doused it in gasoline and Grams body went up in flames The two fled, police started to arrived and extinguished a half-burned body and casket.

Legacy

The music world that knew Gram was devastated by his death, but less than shocked. Countless artists have continued to make music in the country-rock style and may not have existed without the influence of Gram Parsons. Parsons work is far more popular today than it ever was while he was alive.

References

Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gram_Parsons AllMusic; http://www.allmusic.com/artist/gram-parsonsmn0000987491 Gram Parsons Official; http://www.gramparsons.com/ BBC 4, History of Country Music BBC 4, Gram Parsons: Fallen Angel