32 Facts About Gram Parsons

Ingram Cecil Connor III who was known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist who recorded as a solo artist and with the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, and the Flying Burrito Brothers, popularizing what he called "Cosmic American Music", a hybrid of country, rhythm and blues, soul, folk, and rock.

Gram Parsons founded the International Submarine Band in 1966, but the group disbanded prior to the 1968 release of its debut album, Safe at Home.

Gram Parsons joined the Byrds in early 1968 and played a pivotal role in the making of the Sweetheart of the Rodeo album, a seminal album in the country rock genre.

Gram Parsons was fired from the band before the album's release in early 1970.

Gram Parsons spent the first half of 1971 with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, living in his French villa Nellcote during the recording sessions for Exile on Main Street, though he contributed very little to the recording process itself.

Gram Parsons's health deteriorated due to several years of drug abuse culminating in his death from a toxic combination of morphine and alcohol in 1973 at the age of 26.

Gram Parsons was the daughter of citrus fruit magnate John A Snively, who held extensive properties in Winter Haven and in Waycross.

Gram Parsons's father, Ingram Connor II was a famous World War II flying ace, decorated with the Air Medal, who was present at the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

Gram Parsons briefly attended the prestigious Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, before transferring to the public Winter Haven High School; after failing his junior year, he returned to Bolles.

Heavily influenced by The Kingston Trio and The Journeymen, the band played hootenannies, coffee houses and high school auditoriums; as Gram Parsons was still enrolled in prep school, he performed with the group only in select engagements.

Gram Parsons did not become seriously interested in country music until his time at Harvard, where he heard Merle Haggard for the first time.

Gram Parsons had been acquainted with Hillman since the pair had met in a bank during 1967 and in February 1968 he passed an audition for the band, being initially recruited as a jazz pianist but soon switching to rhythm guitar and vocals as well.

Gram Parsons was on salary; that was the only way we could get him to turn up.

However, as recording plans were made, Gram Parsons exerted a controlling influence over the group, persuading the other members to leave Los Angeles and record the album in Nashville, Tennessee.

However, Gram Parsons was still under contract to LHI Records and consequently, Hazlewood contested Gram Parsons' appearance on the album and threatened legal action.

Immediately after leaving the band, Gram Parsons stayed at Richards' house and the pair developed a close friendship over the next few years, with Gram Parsons reintroducing the guitarist to country music.

Gram Parsons was frequently indulging in massive quantities of psilocybin and cocaine, so his performances were erratic at best, while much of the band's repertoire consisted of vintage honky-tonk and soul standards with few originals.

Midway through their set, Gram Parsons joined the headline act and fronted his former group on renditions of "Hickory Wind" and "You Don't Miss Your Water".

Gram Parsons was replaced by lead guitarist Bernie Leadon, while Hillman reverted to bass.

Gram Parsons was inspired to cover the song after hearing an advance tape of the Sticky Fingers track sent to Kleinow, who was scheduled to overdub a pedal steel part; although Kleinow's part was not included on the released Rolling Stones version, it is available on bootlegs.

Gram Parsons then accompanied the Rolling Stones on their 1971 UK tour in the hope of being signed to the newly formed Rolling Stones Records; by this juncture, Parsons and Richards had mulled the possibility of recording a duo album.

Gram Parsons attempted to rekindle his relationship with the band on their 1972 American tour to no avail.

Allegedly, the relationship was far from stable, with Burrell cutting a needy and jealous figure while Gram Parsons quashed her burgeoning film career.

Many of the singer's closest associates and friends claim that Gram Parsons was preparing to commence divorce proceedings at the time of his death; the couple had already separated by this point.

Gram Parsons returned to the US for a one-off concert with the Burritos, and at Hillman's request went to hear Emmylou Harris sing in a small club in Washington, DC They befriended each other and, within a year, he asked her to join him in Los Angeles for another attempt to record his first solo album.

The fire proved to be the last straw in the relationship between Burrell and Gram Parsons, who moved into a spare room in Kaufman's house.

Gram Parsons's efforts failed and Fisher, watching from outside, was visibly alarmed.

Keith Richards stated in the 2004 documentary film Fallen Angel that Gram Parsons understood the danger of combining opiates and alcohol and should have been more cautionary.

Two accounts state that Bob Parsons stood to inherit Gram's share of his grandfather's estate if he could prove that Gram was a resident of Louisiana, explaining his eagerness to have him buried there.

The site of Gram Parsons' cremation is today known as The Cap Rock Parking Lot.

In 2006, the Gandulf Hennig-directed documentary film titled Gram Parsons: Fallen Angel was released.

In November 2009, the musical theatre production Grievous Angel: The Legend of Gram Parsons premiered, starring Anders Drerup as Gram Parsons and Kelly Prescott as Emmylou Harris.