Gram Parsons

Date of Birth: November 5, 1946

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Date of Death: September 19, 1973

Biography

Gram Parsons, born Cecil Ingram Connor III, was an influential American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist. He was born on November 5, 1946, in Winter Haven, Florida. Parsons is best known for his work with the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, and for his pioneering role in the fusion of rock and country music, which he referred to as “Cosmic American Music.” Parsons’ early life was marked by tragedy; his father committed suicide when Gram was 12, and his mother died of alcohol-related illness shortly before his high school graduation. Despite these hardships, Parsons pursued music passionately. He attended Harvard University briefly before dropping out to focus on his musical career. In 1968, Parsons joined the Byrds and contributed significantly to their album “Sweetheart of the Rodeo,” which is now considered a landmark in the country rock genre. After leaving the Byrds, he co-founded the Flying Burrito Brothers and released two critically acclaimed albums with them: “The Gilded Palace of Sin” (1969) and “Burrito Deluxe” (1970). Parsons also had a close relationship with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, which influenced the Stones’ own forays into country music. In the early 1970s, Parsons embarked on a solo career and released two solo albums, “GP” (1973) and “Grievous Angel” (1974), both of which featured Emmylou Harris, a then-unknown singer who would go on to become a country music legend. Tragically, Parsons’ life was cut short when he died of a drug overdose on September 19, 1973, at the age of 26, in Joshua Tree, California. His contributions to music have left a lasting legacy, and he is often credited with helping to shape the country rock genre.