Gram Parsons (Cecil Ingram Connor, 1946-1973) knew despite his untimely death to exert a lasting influence on popular music. At a young age, he saw it as his life's goal to combine his two loves, country and rock and roll with each other. His first attempt he was discovered and produced at The International Submarine Band, by producer Lee Hazlewood. Parsons soon found a better vehicle for his ideas.
After the departure of David Crosby, he was recruited by Roger McGuinn as new lead singer of The Byrds. His influence is clearly heard on Sweethearts Of The Rodeo (1968), a commercial flop but a pioneering country-rock album. The voice of Parsons that LP was replaced at the last moment of Roger McGuinn, after threats of a lawsuit by Hazlewood, to whom Parsons still had contractual obligations. His musical influence already been reached further than The Byrds. Parsons was a personal friend of guitarist Keith Richards, and also in the music of the Rolling Stones turned up the necessary country influences. Fine example is the single Wild Horses. After his dismissal from The Byrds Parsons formed the new group The Flying Burrito Brothers, which was recorded following the classic country rock album, The Gilded Palace Of Sin (1969). Also in this group kept the fickle and self-destructive singer not last long. His solo albums GP (1972) and Grievous Angel (1973) he took with the former backing band of Elvis Presley, which include playing star guitarist James Burton. This excellent record is the first time the voice of the young, talented singer Emmylou Harris to. Their duets are among the day's most heartbreaking in country and western music. In 1973, Parsons died from the effects of an overdose of alcohol and drugs.more
