On this day (September 19) in 1973, Gram Parsons died in Joshua Tree, California, at the age of 26. Before his death, he formed and played in some of the most consequential bands of the 1960s. He is often called the Father of Country Rock and was an alt-country pioneer. He played a pivotal role in Emmylou Harris’ early career, helping her find her sound.
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Parsons found his passion for performance long before he learned to play an instrument. As a child, he would put on pretend concerts on his front porch in which he would lip-sync Elvis Presley songs while his friends and younger sister mimed playing instruments behind him. He started learning to play guitar after his father’s death. By the time he was 15, he was playing in a band with other teens.
Later in life, Parsons attended Harvard. According to the San Diego Troubadour, he formed what may have been the first country rock band in 1966. The next year, that band, the International Submarine Band, moved to Los Angeles. There, they inked a deal with Lee Hazlewood and recorded their album Safe at Home. The album included the Parsons-penned “Luxury Liner” and “Blue Eyes.” The band split before the album dropped in 1968.
After the dissolution of the International Submarine Band, he joined the Byrds, replacing David Crosby. He heavily influenced their legendary album Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Today, it is hailed as one of the earliest country rock albums. It contains covers of songs by Merle Haggard, Woody Guthrie, the Stanley Brothers, and Bob Dylan, as well as two of Parsons’ originals.
After leaving the band, he teamed with former Byrds member Chris Hillman to form the Flying Burrito Brothers. The band released two albums before breaking up. Parsons began his solo career in 1972 after signing with A&M.
Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris
That year, he recorded his debut album, GP, which featured Elvis Presley’s former guitarist James Burton and a young folk singer named Emmylou Harris. At the time, Harris had no real knowledge of country music. However, Parsons’ passion for the music was contagious.
Harris toured with Parsons after singing harmonies on his debut album. She returned to the studio with him for his 1973 sophomore release, Grievous Angel. After Parsons’ passing, Harris carried the country rock torch into her solo career. She covered several of Parsons’ songs throughout the years and used his song “Luxury Liner” for the title track of what came to be one of her most successful releases.
Arrests (Kind of) Connected to Parsons’ Death
Gram Parsons often spent time at Joshua Tree National Monument in California. On the evening of September 18, 1973, he overdosed on a combination of opiates and alcohol at the Joshua Tree Inn. He was pronounced dead shortly after midnight.
Earlier that year, Parsons attended the funeral of former Byrds guitarist Clarence White. There, he told his manager, Phil Kaufman, that he wanted to be cremated at Cap Rock in Joshua Tree when he died. As a result, Kaufman and Michael Martin stole Parsons’ casket from the Los Angeles International Airport and took it to Cap Rock. There, they soaked his remains in gasoline and set him on fire.
Unfortunately, the fire didn’t get hot enough to fully cremate his body. As a result, authorities found his charred remains. The find made headlines with some outlets speculating about Satanic rites in the desert. Authorities arrested Kaufman on September 26, and Martin turned himself in the next day. The men were charged with theft of the casket, with police jokingly calling it “Gram Theft Parsons.” Both only had to pay a fine, and Kaufman was sentenced to a year of probation.
Parsons’ family eventually retrieved his remains and buried him at the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Louisiana. However, his fans still see Cap Rock as his final resting place, as he would have wanted.
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