Gram Parsons - The Gram Parsons Story

The first meeting of Gram Parsons (Cecil Ingram Conner) and Keith Richards took place in 1968 while the Byrds were touring Europe in support of their landmark "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" record. This is documented in the book "Gram Parsons: A Music Biography by Sid Griffin" Published by Sierra Books, Copyright 1985. Quote from page 20 of the paperback edition: "The Byrds were in London to play a benefit at the Royal Albert Hall. On the morning after the show, Parsons told McGuinn, Chris Hillman and then-Byrds drummer Kevin Kelly he was not going to South Africa under any circumstances. Parsons left the group and stayed in London while the Byrds flew to South Africa..." also quote:"Gram met Keith Richards in London and stayed with him for a spell, turning the Stones onto country music. Suddenly songs like 'Dear Doctor', 'Country Honk', and 'Dead Flowers' became part of the Stones' repertoire". There is a second book called "Hickory Wind: The life and Times of Gram Parsons" Published by Pocket Books, Copyright 1991 which is also very good reference on the life and times of this significant influence on the Rolling Stones. The life and music of the late Gram Parsons is essential learning material for any student of The Rolling Stones that is interested in understanding one of their strongest influences during "The Golden Era".

The fiddle is played by Byron Berline who was a regular on Parsons recordings, and an artist in his own right.

The Parsons versions of these songs are on the import Edsel CD release "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke and Loud, Loud Music". Richards recorded these songs in Toronto, March 1977, with Ian Stewart after a bit of a problem with the Canadian Mounties. These tracks can be heard on the LP "Rolling Stone Alone".

Keith "Do Right Man" Richards played in this tribute show for his good friend on July 10, 2004 in Santa Barbara, California. This is a street handbill I picked-up in town on July 11th!

"Return To Sin City: DVD"

Released March 22, 2005

Six Days On The Road - Sin City All Stars/Big Mouth Blues - Jim Lauderdale/Drug Store Truck Driving Man - Jay "Son Volt" Farrar/Devil In Disguise - Jay Farrar/Hot Burrito No. 1 - Raul Malo/Still Feeling Blue - Jim James/Hot Burrito #2 - John Doe/We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning - John Doe & Kathleen Edwards/Do Right Woman - Susan Marshall/Luxury Liner - Steve Earl/My Uncle - Steve Earl/Sleepless Nights - Lucinda Williams/A Song For You - Lucinda Willaims/Wheels - Dwight Yokam/Sin City - Dwight Yokam/She - Norah Jones/Love Hurst - Keith Richards & Norah Jones/Hickory Wind - Keith Richards/In My Hour Of Darkness - Susan Marshall & The House Of Blues Gospel Choir/Wild Horses - All/Ooh Las Vegas - All

Comments: Awesome, Fantastic! Thank you Polly Parsons.

Keith Richards writes a great article about Parsons in this April 21, 2005 Rolling Stone issue honoring "The Immortals" (100 greatest artists of all time).

Side One: I May Be Right/Big Country/Zah's Blues/Mary Don't You Weep/Bells Of Rymney
Side Two: Goin' Away, Don't You Wanna Go/They Still Go Down/On My Journey Home/Surfinanny/Oh They Didn't Crucify My Lord

Codine/Wheel Of Fortune/Another Side Of This Life/High Flying Bird/November Nights/Zah's Blues/Reputation/That's The Bag I'm In/Willie Jean/They Still Go Down/Pride Of Man/The Last Thing On My Mind/Hey Nellie Nellie/She's The Woman I Love/Good Time Music/Brass Buttons/I Just Can't Take It Any More/Searchin'/Candy Man

Side One: Blue Eyes/Somebody Else You've Known/Millers Cave/Satified Mind/Strong Boy
Side Two: Luxury Liner/I Still Miss Someone/Do You Know How It Feels To Be Lonesome/Folsom Prison Blues-That's Alright Mama (Medley)

2004 Sundazed Records Reissue with original LP cover artwork and the "unissued" bonus track Knee Deep In The Blues (which of course was already issued on the "The Gram Parsons Anthology" Box Set).

Blue Eyes/I Must Have Been Somebody Else You've Known/A Satisfied Mind/Folsom Prison Blues/That's All Right/Miller's Cave/I Still Miss Someone/Luxury Liner/Strong Boy/Do You Know How It Feels To Be Lonesome

You Ain't Goin' Nowhere/I Am A Pilgrim/The Christian Life/You Don't Miss Your Water/You're Still on My Mind/Pretty Boy Floyd/Hickory Wind/One Hundred Years From Now/Blue Canadian Rockies/Life In Prison/Nothing Was Delivered (This Is The Original LP)
Bonus Tracks: You Got A Reputation/Lazy Days (Gram Vocal)/Pretty Polly/The Christian Life #11 (Gram Vocal)/Life In Prison #11 (Gram Vocal)/You're Still On My Mind #43 (Gram Vocal)/One Hundred Years From Now #2 (Gram Vocal)/All I Have Are Memories (Instrumental)-Radio Spot For The Album

CD 1: You Ain't Goin' Nowhere/I Am A Pilgrim/The Christian Life/You Don't Miss Your Water/You're Still on My Mind/Pretty Boy Floyd/Hickory Wind/One Hundred Years From Now/Blue Canadian Rockies/Life In Prison/Nothing Was Delivered (This Is The Original LP)/All I Have Are Memories/Reputation/Pretty Polly/Lazy Days/The Christian Life #1 (Gram Vocal)/You Don't Miss You Water (Gram Vocal)/One Hundred Years From Now #1 (Gram Vocal)/Radio Spot For The Album

CD 2: Sum Up Broke/One Day Week/Truck Drivin' Man/Blue Eyes/Luxury Liner/Strong Boy (International Submarine Band)/Lazy Days/Pretty Polly/Hickory Wind/The Christian Life #2 (Gram Vocal)/The Christian Life #3 (Gram Vocal)/Life In Prison #1 (Gram Vocal)/Life In Prison #2 (Gram Vocal)/One Hundred Years From Now #2 (Gram Vocal)/One Hundred Years From Now #3 (Gram Vocal)/You're Still On My Mind #1 (Gram Vocal)/You're Still On My Mind #2 (Gram Vocal)/All I Have Are Memories #1 (Instrumental)/All I Have Are Memories #2 (Instrumental)/Blue Canadian Rockies

Comment: Incredible! Finally the document that shows Gram's real influence on the evolution of this music genre.

Side One: The Christian Life/Pretty Polly/One Hundred Years From Now/You're Still On My Mind (Rehearsal)/You Don't Miss Your Water/All I Have Is Memories (Instrumental)

Side Two: Life In Prison (Rehearsal)/You Got A Reputation/One Hundred Years From Now (Rehearsal)/The Christian Life (Rehearsal)/Lazy Days

Christine's Tune/Sin City/Do Right Woman/Dark End Of The Street/My Uncle/Wheels/Juanita/Hot Burrito#1/Hot Burrito#2/Do You Know How it Feels/Hippie Boy

Lazy Days/Image of Me/High Fashion Queen/If You Gotta Go/Man In The Fog/Farther Along/Older Guys/Cody, Cody/God's Own Singer/Down In The Churchyard/Wild Horses - This release of Wild Horses precedes the Stones. Rumor has it that the song was written for the Burritos. Recorded by the Stones in December, 1969 at Muscle Shoals and released in 1971.

Still Feeling Blue/We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning/A Song For You/Streets Of Baltimore/She/That's All It Took/The New Soft Shoe/Kiss The Children/Cry One More Time/How Much I've Lied/Big Mouth Blues

Return Of The Greivous Angel/Hearts On Fire/I Can't Dance/Brass Buttons/$1000 Wedding/Cash On The Barrelhead-Hickory Wind(medley - fake live tracks ala Glynn Johns)/Love Hurts/Ooh Las Vegas/In My Hour Of Darkness

Side One: Return Of Grievous Angel/Hearts On Fire/I Can't Dance/Brass Buttons/$1000 Wedding
Side Two: Cash On The Barrelhead-Hickory Wind (fake live)/Love Hurts/Las Vegas/In My Hour Of Darkness

We'll Sweep Out The Ashes/Country Baptizing/Drug Store Truck Driving Man/Big Mouth Blues/The New Soft Shoe/Cry One More Time/Streets Of Baltimore/That's All It Took/Love Hurts/California Cottonfields/Six Days On The Road/Encore Medley: Bony Moronie-Forty Days-Almost Grown

Christine's Tune/Sin City/Do Right Woman/Dark End Of The Street/Wheels/Jaunita/Hot Burrito#1/Hot Burrito#2/Do You Know How It Feels/Break My Mind/Farther Along/Cody, Cody/God's Own Singer/Wild Horses/Dim Lights/Just Because/Six Days On The Road/To Love Somebody/Close Up The Honky-Tonks/Sing Me Back Home/I Shall Be Released (partial)

The Train Song/Close Up The Honky-Tonks/Sing Me Back Home/Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down/Your Angel Steps Out Of Heaven/Crazy Arms/Together Again/Honky Tonk Women/Green, Green, Grass Of Home/Dim Lights/Bony Moronie/To Love Somebody/Break My Mind

The Shilos: Zah's Blues/Intenational Submarine Band: Blue Eyes/Strong Boy/Truck Drving Man/The Byrds: Hickory Wind/The Christian Life/Reputation/One Hundred Years From Now/Flying Burrito Brothers: Hot Burrito #1/Christine's Tune/Sin City/The Dark End Of The Street/Wild Horses/Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris: She/The New Softshoe/We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning/Brass Buttons/Return Of The Grievous Angel/Drug Store Truck Driving Man/Band New Heartache/Love Hurts

Brand New Heartache/Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down/Sing Me Back Home/Your Angel Steps Out Of Heaven/Crazy Arms/Sleepless Nights/Close Up The Honky Tonks/Together Again/Honky Tonk Women/Green, Green Grass Of Home/Dim Lights/The Angels Rejoiced Last Night

CD 1: Sing Me Back Home/Hot Burrito #2/Break My Mind/Dark End Of The Street/Cody Cody/Wheels/Hot Burrito #1/Sin City/Do Right Woman/God's Own Singer/Older Guys/Train Song/Lazy Days/Christine's Tune/Close Up The Honky Tonks/Do You Know How It Feels/High Fashion Queen/Man In The Fog/To Love Somebody/My Uncle/Hippie Boy

CD 2: Juanita/Image Of Me/Farther Along/If You Gotta Go/Bony Moronie/Six Days On The Road/Wild Horses/Down In The Churchyard/Wake Little Susie (Live)/Pick Me Up On You Way Down/Just Because/Lodi/Money Honey (Live)/I Shall Be Released/White Line Fever/Ain't That A Lot Of Love (Live)/Don't Fight It (Live)/Losing Game (Live)/Tried So Hard/All Alone/100 Years From Now (Live)

CD 1: Christine's Tune/Sin City/Do Right Woman/Dark End Of The Street/My Uncle/Wheels/Juanita/Hot Burrito #1/Hot Burrito #2/Do You Know How It Feels/Hippie Boy/The Train Song/Lazy Days/Image Of Me/High Fashion Queen/If You Gotta Go/Man In The Fog/Farther Along/Older Guys/Cody, Cody/God's Own Singer/Down In The Churchyard/Wild Horses

CD 2: Six Days On The Road/Close Up The Honky Tonks/Break My Mind/Dim Lights/Sing Me Back Home/Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down/To Love Somebody/White Line Fever/Colorado/Hand To Mouth/Tried So Hard/Just Can't Be/To Ramona/Four Days Of Rain/Can't You Hear Me Calling/All Alone/Why Are You Crying/Here Tonight/Ain't That A Lot Of Love (Live)/Losing Game (Live)

CD 1: Blue Eyes 2:48/Luxury Liner 2:54/Do You Know How It Feels To Be Lonesome? 3:34/I Must Be Somebody Else You've Known 2:17/Miller's Cave 2:48/Knee Deep In The Blues 1:57/Hickory Wind 3:33/You're Still On My Mind 2:26/The Christian Life 2:31/You Don't Miss Your Water 3:52/One Hundred Years From Now 2:58/Christine's Tune (Devil In Disguise) 3:04/Sin City 4:11/Do Right Woman 3:56/Dark End Of The Street 3:59/Wheels 3:04/Juanita 2:31/Hot Burrito #1 3:41/Hot Buritto #2 3:19/High Fashion Queen 2:08/Older Guys 2:30/Cody, Cody 2:46/Wild Horses 6:24/Sing Me Back Home 4:31

CD 2: To Love Somebody 3:21/Still Feeling Blue 2:41/We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning 3:13/A Song For You 4:58/Streets Of Baltimore 2:53/She 4:58/The New Soft Shoe 3:53/Kiss The Children 2:58/How Much I've Lied 2:28/Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man 4:39/That's All It Took 2:51/California Cotton Fields 2:45/Return Of The Grievous Angel (Remix) 3:58/Hearts Of Fire 3:49/Brass Buttons 3:29/$1000 Wedding 5:03/Love Hurts 3:41/Ooh Las Vegas 3:31/In My Hour Of Darkness 3:47/Brand New Heartache 2:28/Sleepless Nights 3:25/The Angels Rejoiced Last Night 3:35

Christine's Tune/Sin City/Do Right Woman/Dark End Of The Street/Wheels/Hot Burrito#2/Train Song/Lazy Days/Cody, Cody/Break My Mind/Together Again/Wild Horses

"The Gilded Palace Of Sin" and "Burrito Deluxe" on one CD, plus bonus tracks: The Train Song, Six Days On The Road, and Close Up The Honky-Tonks

Contains _essential_ "lost" Parsons vocals. The Christian Life and You Don't Miss Your Water are worth the price of admission. "Water" will make the tears come down. Incredible.

Christine's Tune - Steve Wynn/Cody, Cody - Musical Kings/The New Soft Shoe - Polly Parsons & Eden (Gram's Daughter!)/November Nights - Coal Porters/Sin City - Clive Gregson & Boo Hewrodine/Brass Buttons - Something Happens/Big Mouth Blues - The Wellsprings Of Hope/Hot Burrito #2 - Pet Clark (Great Cover!)/Blue Eyes - Uncle Tupelo (Jay Farrar - vocal!)/One Hundered Years From Now - Stephen McCarthy/Do You Know How It Feels To Be Lonesome - Carla Olson/A Song For You - Peter Holsapple & Susan Cowsall with The Walking Tacos/Still Feeling Blue - Finger/Hickory Wind - Bob Mould & Vic Chesnut/Return Of A Greivous Angel - Joey Burns & Victoria Williams/Juanita - Flor De Mal/$1000 Wedding - The Mekons

Luxury Liner/Hickory Wind/One Hundred Years From Now/Drug Store Truck Driving Man/Mental Revenge/Sin City/Grievous Angel/Wheels/In My Hour Of Darkness/Older Guys/Hot Burrito #2/Six Days On The Road

She - The Pretenders/Ooh Las Vegas - Cowboy Junkies/Sin City - Beck & Emmylou Harris/$1,000 Wedding - Evan Dando & Julianna Hatfield/Hot Burrito#1 - The Mavericks/High Fashion Queen - Chris Hillman & Steve Earl/Juanita - Sheryl Crow & Emmylou Harris/Sleepless Nights - Elvis Costello/Return Of The Greivous Angel - Lucinda Williams & David Crosby/One Hundred Years From Now - Wilco/A Song For You - Wiskeytown/Hickory Wind - Gillian Welch/In My Hour Of Darkness - The Rolling Creekdippers

Comment: Sheryl Crow's version of Juanita is alone worth the price of admission. Hey, where is the Jagger & Richards contribution?

Interesting interviews with Emmylou Harris, Raul Malo, Gillian Welch, & Lucinda Williams.
Keith Richards: Egos aside; You should have made time for this! He would have done it for you! Image Of Me would have been a good one...

Comment: The unfinished songs of Parsons completed and interpreted by musicians' labor of love.

You Ain't Going Nowhere/Old John Robertson/You Don't Miss You Water (Gram on Vocal)/Hickory Wind/Feel A Whole Lot Better/Chimes Of Freedom/The Christian Life/Turn, Turn, Turn/My Back Pages-B.J. Blues-Baby What You Want Me To Do: Medley/Mr. Spaceman

Track 10 - Gram Parsons 1962 radio broadcast with The Legends: Let It Be Me
Tracks 11-15 - Gram with the Byrds Live at the Piper Club Rome 1968: You Don't Miss You Water/Hickory Wind/Feel A Whole Lot Better/Chimes Of Freedom/Turn, Turn, Turn

This is the only recording that holds any possibility of a "legitimate" Richards/Parsons collaboration. It's the real thing.

A Song For You (with Emmylou Harris)/Kentucky Blues/Streets of Baltimore/Folsom Prison Blues/Lovesick Blues/The New Soft Shoe/How Much I've Lied/Still Feeling Blue #1&#2/Ain't No Beatle, Ain't No Rolling Stone ! (a fiddle-guitar vocal)/Medley: How Can I Forget You - Cry One More Time/Song For You #2/Streets of Baltimore #2/That's All It Took (in a hotel room)/Somebody's Back In Town/More And More/Teaching Emmlou Harris: Sweep Out The Ashes/Daddy's Fiddle/We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning/Cold Cold Heart/That's All It Took/A Song For You #3

There is a guy with a British accent speaking with Parsons before The New Soft Shoe and Daddy's Fiddle, but I can't confirm that it is Richards. He's definitely not singing.

It should also be noted that a fake track exists that claims to have both artist jamming together. This hoax was first marketed on the double European LP:

The track, an electric version of Wild Horses (3:34) is falsely described as a session at Muscle Shoals Studios, Alabama, December, 1969. These are a couple of beginners. There are other fakes on here as well that claim to be Muscle Shoals Jams. . . Absolutely Not.

This was also issued on a CD of the same title made from the original LP with a reproduction of the original artwork. Matrix: MA 285.

"Under Your Spell"

(98-C-029A/B)

Colosseum Records

CD1:
Rip It Up: Parsons with The Legends, 1964
Sum Up Broke/One Day Week: International Submarine Band

The Byrds, London Roundhouse, July 6, 1968
Hickory Wind/Sing Me Back Home/The Christian Life/Under Your Spell Again/You Don't Miss Your Water/Eight Miles High/Space Odyssey/Tribal Gathering

The Flying Burrito Brothers, Seattle Pop Festival, 1969 2nd Set
Sin City/Take A Message To Mary/She Still Thinks I Care/Christine's Tune/Sweet Dreams Baby/Wake Up Little Susie

The Flying Burrito Brothers, Palomino Club, Hollywood, June 6, 1969
Buckaroo/Another Place, Another Time/High On A Hilltop/She Once Lived Here/Hot Burrito#1/Everyone Loves A Winner

CD2:
Race With The Wind: Parsons 1964 demo
How Much I Lied/The New Soft Shoe/Still Feeling Blue/A Song For You/Big Mouth Blues/Kiss The Children: G.P. album sessions 1972

The Fallen Angels, WBCN radio, Boston, March 18, 1973
Fallen Angels/Widowmaker/Love Hurts/Sin City

The Flying Burrito Brothers, Avalon Ballroom, April 6, 1969
You're Still On My Mind

The Flying Burrito Brothers, Palomino Club, Hollywood, June 6, 1969
Undo The Right-Somebody's Back In Town/Lucille/I Threw Away The Rose/Train Song

The Fallen Angels, Liberty Hall Houston, February 23, 1973
Six Days On The Road/Close Up The Honky-Tonks

The Fallen Angels, US Tour 1973
We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning

Grievous Angel/Hearts On Fire: Studio Outtakes

Comments: Nice carboard fold out sleeve with booklet.

Close Up The Honky Tonks 2:32/Dark End Of The Street 4:28/Medley: Can't Undo the Wrong Can't Undo the Right - Somebody's Back in Town 3:35/Town Without Memories 5:08/Sweet Mental Revenge 3:19/We've Got To Get Ourselves Together 3:43/Lucille 2:54/Sin City 4:52/You Win Again 3:37 (also recorded by The Rolling Stones Paris Pathe Marconi, January-March 1978!)/Hot Burrito #1 4:28/Hot Burrito #2 4:26 /You're Still On My Mind 2:37/Train Down The Line 2:22/Jesus Move Me Down The Line 2:15/Long Black Limousine 3:30 (a country song about a dead girl friend)/Sweet Dreams Baby 3:40/Do Right Woman 4:52/Six Days On The Road 3:18 (audience tape source from Altamont 12/6/69)/Wild Horses 5:42 (Gimme Shelter movie version take in perfect stereo)

Sing Me Back Home 4:02/The Train Song 3:29/Dream Baby 4:53/Town Without Memories 4:14/We've Got To Get Ourselves Together 3:23/Long Black Limousine 4:03/Dark End Of The Street 4:34/She Still Thinks I Care 5:03/If You Can't Undo The Wrong, Undo The Right / Somebody's Back In Town 3:17/Lucille 2:33/Days Of Wine And Roses 3:35/Sweet Mental Revenge 3:23/Walk That Road 3:39/Life In Prison 2:59/Hungry Eyes 5:05/High On A Hilltop 4:03/Sing Me Back Home 4:04/Hot Burrito #1 3:54

Seattle Pop Festival, Woodenville, Washington July 27, 1969 & Wynona, Minnesota May, 1970

Close Up The Honky Tonks 2:40/Dark End Of The Street 3:54/Sweet Mental Revenge 3:15/The Image Of Me 3:22/Christine's Tune 5:34/Sin City 4:09/Man In A Fog 2:47/Wake Up Little Susie 3:11/You Win Again 3:38/She Thinks I Still Care 5:29/Sweet Dreams Baby 2:55/Lucille 2:37/Take A Message To Mary 3:07/Train Song 3:28/Lazy Day 4:03/100 Years Ago 3:09/My Uncle 3:02/High Fashion Queen 2:12/Cody Cody 3:03/Wild Horses 6:21

Live at Oliver's, Boston March 19, 1973 Demo's, & Oliver's, Boston March 20, 1973
CD 1: Instrumental/Still Feeling Blue/That's All It Took/Big Mouth Blues/Hearts On Fire/Jambalaya/Love Hurts/Cry One More Time/Sin City/Medley: Hang On Sloopy-Baby What You Want Me To Do/California Great Bound/Love Hurts/Sin City/Instrumental/We'll Sweep Out The Ashes in the Morning/My Uncle

Live at Oliver's, Boston March 20, 1973
CD 2: Drug Store Truck Driving Man/Streets of Baltimore/Country Baptizing/The New Soft Shoe/Hearts of Fire/Still Feeling Blue/That's All It Took/California Cotton Field/Big Mouth Blues/Love Hurts/Sin City/Medley: Hang On Sloopy-Baby What You Want Me To Do-Bony Moronie-Almost Grown/How Much I Cry/Six Days On The Road

Sound Quality: Very Good Soundboard. Instruments are good, but vocals are distant.

Buckaroo 1:32/Still Feeling Blue 2:38/That's All It Took 3:48/California Cottonfields 4:00/Cry One More Time 6:37/A Song for You 7:35/If You Don't Love Him 3:25/Hang On Sloopy 3:32/Baby What You Want Me to Do-Bony Maronie-/Forty Days-Almost Grown 7:36 (Medley)

If You Gotta Go, Go Now 1:51/Do Right Woman 3:25/You're Still On My Mind 1:56/Lazy Day 2:39/Honky Tonk Women 5:58/Sing Me Back Home 3:17

Side 1: Blue Eyes/I Must Be Somebody Else You've Known/A Satisfied Mind/Folsom Prison Blues/And That's All Right

Side 2: Miller's Cave/I Still Miss Someone/Luxury Liner/Strong Boy/Do You Know How It Feels to be Lonesome?

In Periodicals

"Uncut"

October 2003, Take 77

" God's Own Singer" - Pages 80-92: A great summary of the life & times of Gram Parsons

"Mojo"

Parsons with Anita Pallenberg & Keith Richards at Joshua Tree National Park, October 1969

Special Edition

"The Lost Boy" - Pages 88-93: Great insight into his relationship with Jagger & Richards

The Son's Of Gram Parsons

"Son Volt - Trace"

Warner Brothers 46010-2

Windfall/Live Free/Tear Stained Eye/Route/Ten Second News/Drown/Loose String/Out Of The Picture/Catching On/Too Early/Mystifies Me (Ronnie Wood Cover!)

Comment: Maybe Gram would have dug this; on the other hand, The Eagles take on Country Rock pissed him off!

There are incredible photos in existence of Parsons and Richards at Nellcote, France. His contribution to Torn and Frayed and Sweet Virginia is speculation, but the influence is unmistakable. Richards pulled the soul out of this music and incorporated it in just about everything since his fateful meeting with Parsons in England, in 1968. Gram Parsons died in the high desert of Joshua Tree Monument on September 19, 1973. The Rolling Stones were playing the Odeon, Birmingham, UK show that day. An Autopsy report listed the cause of death as "Drug toxicity (days), due to multiple drug use (weeks)".

Parsons' was going to be buried in a traditional fashion in Louisiana, but his body was stolen by a couple of friends in LA before he was to be flown to New Orleans. The intent was to take his body and cremate it in Joshua Tree, which they did. They felt that Graham would have wanted it that way. The fire and Gram were discovered, and his remains were then buried in New Orleans. There is a bit of a shrine at Joshua Tree and the site of this bizarre event is marked with a homemade concrete plaque. The location is the Cap Rock area of the park.