Gram Parsons was a singer-songwriter and guitarist who played a key role in the development of country rock music in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was born Ingram Cecil Connor III on November 5, 1946, in Winter Haven, Florida, and grew up in a wealthy family in Georgia.

Parsons began playing music in his early teens, and in the mid-1960s, he moved to Los Angeles to attend college. There, he formed a band called the International Submarine Band, which played a mix of country and rock music. The band's debut album, "Safe at Home," was released in 1968, but it failed to sell well.

After leaving the International Submarine Band, Parsons joined The Byrds, one of the most influential bands of the 1960s. Parsons played a key role in the recording of the band's seminal country rock albums, "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" and "Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde," but he clashed with the other members of the band and was fired in 1968.

Parsons then formed another band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, which became one of the most influential country rock bands of the era. The band's first album, "The Gilded Palace of Sin," was released in 1969 and is now considered a classic of the genre.

Throughout his career, Parsons was known for his distinctive voice, his innovative guitar playing, and his ability to blend country and rock music into a seamless whole. He was also known for his controversial personal life, which included drug and alcohol abuse and a tumultuous romantic relationship with the actress and singer Emmylou Harris.

Tragically, Parsons died on September 19, 1973, at the age of 26, from a drug overdose. Despite his short career, he left a lasting legacy as a pioneer of country rock music, and his influence can be heard in the work of countless musicians who came after him.

• Gram Parsons - guitar/vocals
• Others?...

• Gram Parsons - guitar/vocals
• Jim Stafford - guitar
• Jim Carlton - bass
• Lamar Braxton - drums

• Gram Parsons - guitar/vocals
• Jim Stafford - guitar
• Jim Carlton - bass
• Lamar Braxton - drums
• Jesse Chambers - guitar
• Kent LaVoie - guitar/vocals - formerly with The Rumors.
• Jon Corneal - drums

• Gram Parsons - guitar/vocals
• Paul Surratt - 
• Joe Kelly - 
• George Wrigley - 

1. "Gram Parsons: The Early Years, 1963-1965" (1979)

• Gram Parsons - guitar/vocals
• Tom Snow - keyboards
• Others?...

• Gram Parsons - guitar/vocals
• Tom Snow - keyboards
• John Nuese - guitar - formerly with The Trolls.
• Ian Dunlop - bass/sax - formerly with Happy Pantaloon And The Buckles.

• Gram Parsons - guitar/vocals
• Tom Snow - keyboards
• John Nuese - guitar
• Ian Dunlop - bass/sax
• Mickey Gauvin - drums

1. "Another Side Of This Life: The Lost Recordings Of Gram Parsons, 1965-1966" (2000)

• Gram Parsons - guitar/vocals
• John Nuese - guitar
• Ian Dunlop - bass/sax
• Mickey Gauvin - drums

• Gram Parsons - guitar/vocals
• John Nuese - guitar
• Jon Corneal - drums
• Joe Osborn - bass
• Jay Dee Maness - pedal-steel guitar
• Earl "Les" Ball - keyboards
• Chris Ethridge - bass

1. "Safe At Home" (1968)

• Gram Parsons - guitar/vocals
• Emmylou Harris - guitar/vocals
• Gerry Mule - guitar
• Kyle Tullis - bass
• Neil Flanz - pedal-steel guitar
• N. D. Smart II - drums - b. Norman Smart, Dayton, Ohio - formerly with The Mark V, The Knights/Thee Rubber Band, The Remains, The Bait Shop/Bo Grumpus, Kangaroo, and Ian and Sylvia's band Great Speckled Bird.

• Gram Parsons - guitar/vocals
• Emmylou Harris - guitar/vocals
• Kyle Tullis - bass
• Neil Flanz - pedal-steel guitar
• N. D. Smart II - drums
• Jock Bartley - guitar - b. Kansas - formerly with Zephyr.

1. "Live 1973" (1994)

1. "GP" (1973)
2. "Grevious Angel" (1974)
3. "GP / Grevious Angel" (2-fer) (1990)

1. "Warm Evenings, Pale Mornings, Bottled Blues: 1963-1973" (1992)
2. "Sacred Hearts And Fallen Angels: The Gram Parsons Anthology" (2-CDs) (2001)

• The Gram Parsons Homepage

• "Hickory Wind: The Life and Times of Gram Parsons" (25th Anniversary Edition, 1998) - by Ben Fong-Torres
  
• "DESPERADOS: The Roots of Country Rock" - by John Einarson; published by Cooper Square Press - Let me say right up front that I have been a big fan of country rock music ever since hearing the "Pickin' Up The Pieces" single from Poco's debut album.  Poco has remained a favorite of mine through the years, although I always believed they were overlooked as a significant influence on popular music into the 1970s and the "new country" movement in the 1990s.  Thankfully, this oversight is corrected by John Einarson in his book, "DESPERADOS: The Roots of Country Rock", which traces the history of country rock's rise in Southern California from the early days in the late 1960s up to The Eagles (unquestionably the most commercially-viable country rock band of all time).  Having previously read one of Mr. Einarson's biographies on The Guess Who, I was anxious to see how he approached my favorite type of music...I was not disappointed.  "DESPERADOS: The Roots of Country Rock" is an intricate tale of musicians struggling to be heard amidst the psychedelic and hard-rock sounds flooding the airwaves at the time...and these early country rockers did make themselves heard...The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Poco, Buffalo Springfield, Clarence White, The Eagles, Michael Nesmith (remember The Monkees?...Nesmith made some great country rock music after that gig was over), The Dillards, Rick Nelson and The Stone Canyon Band, The Dillard and Clark Expedition, Linda Ronstadt, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band...the list could go on and on.  This book covers the early days of country rock from it's beginnings in the late 1960s to the tragic year of 1973 (when the music world lost two country rock pioneers: guitarist-extraordinaire Clarence White and Gram Parsons) and examines the influence this music has had on second-generation country rock bands such as Pure Prairie League and Firefall.  In addition, the impact of these early country rockers on the "new country" music of the 1980s and the "alternative country" movement of the late-1990s and beyond is explored from a "roots" perspective.  This is a tale masterfully woven by Mr. Einarson, based on more than 60 exclusive interviews with the originators and innovators of country rock.  The amount of information and level of detail contained in these 288 pages is astounding, and there are 31 black and white photographs (some of which I've never seen before).  The only improvement that I would recommend is the inclusion of a comprehensive index in the next edition (this would really help in finding information on specific artists).  Even though I've been following country rock music for years, I learned a lot from this book.  The quotes gleaned from Mr. Einarson's interviews during research for this book are particularly helpful in understanding the origin and development of country rock. "DESPERADOS: The Roots of Country Rock" is required reading for all fans of country rock or anyone interested in late-1960s to early-1970s music. Highly recommended.