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Gram Parsons

A Florida-born singer and songwriter who joined The Byrds for Sweetheart of the Rodeo, founded the Flying Burrito Brothers, and made two solo albums with Emmylou Harris before his death at 26.

Origin
Winter Haven, Florida
Years active
1963-1973
Genres
country rock, folk rock, Americana
Labels
Reprise, A&M
Also known as
Ingram Cecil Connor III

Winter Haven to Los Angeles

Gram Parsons was born Ingram Cecil Connor III on November 5, 1946 in Winter Haven, Florida, and took his stepfather's surname, Parsons. He saw Elvis Presley perform in Waycross, Georgia, on February 22, 1956, attended The Bolles School in Jacksonville, and spent one semester at Harvard. He drew trust income of $30,000 a year from the age of 21. His first group was the folk band The Shilohs (1963 to spring 1965), followed by the International Submarine Band (1966 to 1967), formed with Boston folk musicians and moved to Los Angeles in 1967; they appear in the film The Trip, and their album Safe at Home, recorded late in 1967 for Lee Hazlewood's LHI label, came out in mid-1968 after the break-up and did not chart.

He called his music Cosmic American Music.

The Byrds and the Burritos

He joined The Byrds in February 1968 after an audition arranged through Chris Hillman, hired as a sideman rather than a full member. Sweetheart of the Rodeo was recorded in Nashville from March 9 to 15 and in Hollywood from April 4 to May 27, 1968, produced by Gary Usher with Roy Halee engineering, and released in the US on August 30, 1968. It reached number 77, the lowest-selling Byrds album to that point. Parsons sings lead on "You're Still on My Mind" and "Life in Prison" and co-wrote "Hickory Wind" with Bob Buchanan; after Hazlewood's legal threat, Roger McGuinn replaced three of his lead vocals. He left the band in the summer of 1968 in the UK, over a planned South African tour and his opposition to apartheid.

With Hillman, Chris Ethridge and Sneaky Pete Kleinow he founded the Flying Burrito Brothers. The Gilded Palace of Sin was recorded in November and December 1968 at A&M Studios and released on February 6, 1969, reaching number 164; Pitchfork gave it 9.0 and AllMusic five stars, and Rolling Stone in 1969 called it one of the best records of the year. Burrito Deluxe (April or May 1970), with a first issue of "Wild Horses", did not chart. Parsons left in 1970 and the group dissolved in 1971.

Solo records

He saw Emmylou Harris at a Washington, D.C. folk club in 1971 and recruited her in 1972. He signed to Reprise in mid-1972, and GP was recorded in September and October 1972 at Wally Heider Studio 4, produced by Parsons and Ric Grech, with Harris, James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Al Perkins, Buddy Emmons and Byron Berline, and released in January 1973. It did not reach the Billboard 200; AllMusic gave it five stars. On March 13, 1973 a WLIR-FM broadcast from Ultra-Sonic Studios in Hempstead, New York, was later released as Live 1973 (Sierra, 1982), and the Fallen Angels played Bijou Cafe in Philadelphia and Oliver's in Boston that March.

Grievous Angel was recorded in summer 1973 at Wally Heider Studio 4 and released in January 1974. He died on September 19, 1973 at Joshua Tree, California, aged 26. He was inducted in the 2026 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Early Influence category. Rolling Stone placed him 87th among the 100 greatest artists in 2005, and the Americana Music Association gave him its President's Award in 2003. Emmylou Harris has called him the greatest musical influence in her life.

Records

Songs

The Byrds, Lucinda Williams

Where to go next

Official

Reference

Writing and criticism

Live performance archives

Sources

  1. Gram Parsons, Wikipedia
  2. Sweetheart of the Rodeo, Wikipedia
  3. The Gilded Palace of Sin, Wikipedia
  4. GP, Wikipedia