Quite some time ago, maybe a couple of years ago, I offered to post some pics of Gram Parsons' burial site.
A few people here expressed interest in that, and after all this time, I am making good on that offer.

Gram is actually buried in a suburb of New Orleans known as Metairie, alongside U.S. Highway 61.
This is the same Highway 61 known as the "Blues Highway," and also associated with Bob Dylan.









For anyone visiting New Orleans who may want to visit Gram's resting place,
the Garden of Memories is located on Airline Drive (U.S. Highway 61) about halfway between the city and the airport.
Contact information here: [www.dignitymemorial.com]



As a side note, an old school buddy of mine, "Chris," is also buried here just a few steps away from Gram.
Chris and I would drink beer by the river after school during our last year, and he would almost always have his twelve-string with him.
He was a big fan of traditional country and rock-n-roll, and I am sure Chris would enjoy knowing his final resting place is so close to Gram's.
Rest in peace, Chris.

And rest in peace, Gram.








Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2011-10-16 19:26 by Edith Grove.

Good pics, but is there any remains of Gram in the grave, since he was burnt in the desert?

Vilhelm
Nordic Stones Vikings

Quote
mickijaggeroo
Good pics, but is there any remains of Gram in the grave, since he was burnt in the desert?

The way I remember it, the body was burned, but nowhere close to being ashes that could be dispersed in the desert.

Gram's stepfather was able to recover the body and arrange for burial.

The Strange Death of Gram Parsons:


Joshua Tree:

Gram Parsons had been hanging out at the Joshua Tree National Monument for several years -- he went there regularly, with Chris Hillman when they were bandmates, and later with Keith Richards, to get high, commune with the cactus, and watch the sky for UFOs. He reserved two rooms at the nearby Joshua Tree Inn, a modest cinder-block motel whose owners had come to know Parsons after several visits. Along with Parsons on this trip were his "valet" and chum, Michael Martin; Martin's girlfriend Dale McElroy (no fan of Gram Parsons); and an old friend from his high school days in Florida named Margaret Fisher.
The events of that trip have been recounted by Dale McElroy, who told her story to Ben Fong-Torres when he was writing Hickory Wind, then retold it in her own words in Phil Kaufman's 1993 bio. Other accounts differ, but hers seems the most reliable.
The foursome arrived Monday, September 17, 1973. That day they indulged sufficiently that Martin returned to Los Angeles the next morning to score more marijuana -- even though Martin theoretically went along on the trip so he could look after Parsons. Parsons dragged the women out to the airport for lunch, throughout which he drank Jack Daniels non-stop.
When they returned from lunch, McElroy excused herself -- she couldn't drink because she was recovering from hepatitis, and she wasn't having any fun watching Parsons drink.
Meanwhile, Parsons scored some heroin in town and then topped it off with morphine he acquired from a drug connection, who was staying at the Inn. Several hours later, a wasted Fisher showed up at McElroy's door in a frantic state. Parsons had overdosed, she said. They grabbed some ice and went to Room 1, where he was passed out on the floor, blue. There Fisher revived him with an ice cube suppository -- an old street remedy for overdoses. When McElroy left the two alone again, he was walking around the room, seemingly recovered.
After another hour or so, at about 10:00, Fisher returned to McElroy's room and asked her to sit with the sleeping Parsons while she went out to get some dinner. McElroy grabbed a book and went to Parsons's room -- Room 8. After a few minutes, she realized that his breathing had gone from normal to labored. McElroy had no experience with drug overdoses and no training in CPR. Believing (incorrectly) that there were no other people in the hotel, she never called out for help. Instead she tried to get him breathing again by pumping his back and his chest and giving him mouth-to-mouth. "I tried to figure out whether to stay and keep him breathing or leave and get some help.... I figured if I left, he might die."*
After about a half hour of futile pumping and pushing, McElroy realized that Parsons was probably beyond help. At this point Margaret Fisher returned, then left to call an ambulance. The rescue crew arrived quickly, but concluded that CPR would not be successful. They got Parsons to the nearby Hi-Desert Memorial Hospital in Yucca Valley by 12:15 AM. The doctors there found no pulse and, after trying unsuccessfully to restart his heart, declared him dead at 12:30 AM, Wednesday, September 19, 1973.
The press were told that Parsons had died of natural causes, but after performing an autopsy, the coroner listed the cause of death as "drug toxicity, days, due to multiple drug use, weeks."* A blood test showed a blood alcohol level of 0.21% -- high, but nowhere near fatal standing alone. No morphine showed in the blood test, though it did turn up in more than trace amounts in urine and liver tests. The urinalysis also revealed traces of cocaine and barbiturates. Since substances may accumulate in the body over a long time, it's unclear from the urine and liver tests whether Parsons used morphine, cocaine or barbiturates that day.
Fisher and McElroy were questioned by the police at the hospital. McElroy called Phil Kaufman in Los Angeles, who persuaded the sheriff that he could answer all their questions as soon as he arrived. The sheriff then permitted Fisher and McElroy to stay at the motel until Kaufman arrived. When Kaufman got to the hotel, the women gave him Parsons's drugs, which they had gathered up before the ambulance and police arrived.* Kaufman took the drugs and hid them in the desert, then called the police station. He promised the police he would bring McElroy and Fisher in for further questioning, then piled them in his car and drove them straight back to LA, where he hid them out for a few days. The Joshua Tree police never sought out the two women.
Both Margaret Fisher and Alan Barbary, the son of the hotel owners, told conflicting versions of that night's events, which added to the confusion and exaggeration that soon surrounded the death of Gram Parsons.


Safe at Home:

When the news of his stepson's death reached Bob Parsons, he immediately realized that his own interests would be best served by having the body buried in Louisiana, where the senior Parsons lived. Parsons knew that under Louisiana's Napoleonic code, his adopted son's estate would pass in its entirety to the nearest living male -- Bob Parsons -- notwithstanding any will provisions to the contrary. But the code would only apply if Bob Parsons could prove that Gram Parsons had been a resident of Louisiana. Burying the younger Parsons in New Orleans would bolster the tenuous arguments for Louisiana residency. Bob Parsons booked a flight to LA to claim the body. At stake was his stepson's share of the dwindling but still substantial Snively fortune.
When Phil Kaufman learned of the plan to bury his friend in New Orleans, he became distraught. He knew that Parsons had no connection whatsoever to that city. He knew that Parsons had little use for his stepfather, and would not have wanted any of his estate to pass to him. He knew that Parsons had not wanted a long, depressing, religious service with family and friends. Most of all he knew he had made a pact with Parsons, at the funeral of Clarence White: whoever died first, "the survivor would take the other guy's body out to Joshua Tree, have a few drinks and burn it."*
After a day of vodka-enhanced self-recriminations, Kaufman decided he had to try to make good on his promise. Thus began one of the most unforgettable episodes of what hackers call "social engineering." For the full story, check out Kaufman's biography, Road Mangler Deluxe, which describes the whole episode in Kaufman's own inimitable fashion. What follows is only a taste of Kaufman's tale.
Kaufman called the funeral parlor in the town of Joshua Tree and managed to learn that the body would be driven to LAX and then flown on Continental to New Orleans. He called the airline's mortuary service and found out that the body would arrive that evening. Kaufman recruited Michael Martin, who knew about the pact, and commandeered a hearse of Dale McElroy's, which she and Martin used for camping trips. It had no license plates and several broken windows, but it would do. They tried on suits, but decided they looked so ridiculous that they changed into their tour clothes -- Levi's, cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and jackets with the legend "Sin City" stitched on the back. They loaded the hearse up with beer and Jack Daniels and headed for LAX.
Kaufman and Martin arrived at the loading dock just as a flatbed truck rolled up with the Parsons casket. A drunken Kaufman somehow persuaded an airline employee that the Parsons family had changed its plans and wanted to ship the body privately on a chartered flight.
While Kaufman was in the hangar office, signing the paperwork with a phony name, a policeman pulled up, blocking the hangar door. Kaufman was sure his operation would be shut down, but the officer didn't do anything -- he just sat there. So Kaufman walked out to him, waved his copies of the paperwork, and said, "Hey, can you move that car?" The officer apologized, moved the car, and then, remarkably, helped Kaufman load the casket onto a gurney and into the back of the unlicensed, liquor-filled hearse.
Martin, also liquor-filled, got in the hearse and headed out of the hangar, only to run into the wall on his way out. The officer observed all this, and commented ruefully, "I wouldn't want to be in your shoes now." Then he left, and the two drunk bodysnatchers departed the airport with the body of their friend. They stopped at a gas station and filled a gas can with high test ("I didn't want him to ping," Kaufman says.) Then they headed back for Joshua Tree.
They reached the Monument and drove until they were too drunk to drive any farther. There, near the Cap Rock, a landmark geological formation, they unloaded their friend's coffin. Then Kaufman saw car lights in the distance and concluded the police were coming. He quickly doused his friend with fuel and lit him. The two watched as a giant fireball rose from the coffin, sucking his ashes into the desert night. Then they abandoned the charred remains and headed for LA.
After a trip home filled with close calls, Kaufman and Martin laid low. The morning after their return, the papers were full of the story of the rock star's hijacked and burnt corpse, playing up baseless speculation by local police that the amateur cremation may have been "ritualistic."*
Kaufman knew the police were looking for him, so after a few weeks, he and Martin just turned themselves in. They appeared in West L.A. Municipal Court on Parsons's 27th birthday -- November 5, 1973. Since a corpse has no intrinsic value, the two were charged with misdemeanor theft for stealing the coffin and given a slap on the wrist: $708 in damages for the coffin, and a $300 fine for each of the bodysnatchers. Kaufman has surely made that amount back just dining out on the story -- his misadventures have been legendary in rock and country music circles ever since.
The aftermath of the court's sentence was as unlikely as the events leading up to it. Kaufman threw himself a party to raise the fine money -- Kaufman's Koffin Kaper Koncert. They pasted beer bottles with some homemade labels featuring a bad likeness of Parsons and the legend, "Gram Pilsner: A stiff drink for what ales you." Dr. Demento served as deejay, and live music was provided by Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt Kickers of "Monster Mash" fame and a young band being managed by Tickner and Kaufman at the time, Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers. Despite the gruesome streak running through the party, it was a memorable wake for their friend.*
On the other side of the country, some other friends mourned Parsons in a somewhat quieter fashion. Emmylou Harris met with John Nuese, Bill Keith, and Holly and Barry Tashian for a quiet weekend at the Tashians' cottage in Connecticut, where they listened for the first time to finished versions of the sessions from Grievous Angel (Reprise, 1974).


We'll Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning:

Gram Parsons left more than his share of loose ends.
Bob Parsons had the charred remains of his stepson shipped to New Orleans, where, after a small service with family only, he was buried in The Garden of Memories, an unimpressive cemetery on a highway near the airport. A bronze plaque marks the gravesite; it reads "God's Own Singer." Although Bob Parsons succeeded in getting the body to Louisiana, his scheme to seize control of the Snively fortune was nevertheless thwarted by a Florida court. About a year later, Bob Parsons died of an alcohol-related illness. He never made a dime off of Gram Parsons.
When Parsons left for Joshua Tree, he believed he had initiated divorce proceedings against Gretchen. As it turned out, this was not the case. Kaufman had the papers to serve on her but hadn't yet done so by the time Parsons died. Along with Gretchen Parsons, his daughter Polly, his sister Avis, and his half-sister Diane all received some money from his estate as well.
Reprise finally released Grievous Angel (Reprise, 1974) in January of 1974 to rave reviews. Yet, despite the notoriety resulting from the death of Parsons, the LP peaked at a disappointing #195 on the album chart.
Despite his lack of commercial success, Gram Parsons acquired a small but fervent following. These fans paid for a plaque that was placed near the Cap Rock, with the words "Safe At Home."

[ebni.com]

Thank ya, Edith!!!

glad they finally put a proper marker there--very nice--thanks for sharing

Thanks

HMN

Thank you Edith Grove !
Although it sounds a bit weird to me to discuss on someone's grave ,you took rally nice shots.
BTW ,I always thought that Gram Parsons was buried in a desert as he wished for...

I know Keith and Gram were very closed ...do we have some Keith quotes when it happened ?



I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

Quote
SwayStones
Thank you Edith Grove !
Although it sounds a bit weird to me to discuss on someone's grave ,you took rally nice shots.
BTW ,I always thought that Gram Parsons was buried in a desert as he wished for...

I know Keith and Gram were very closed ...do we have some Keith quotes when it happened ?

Nothing weird about putting up some pics for everyone to see.
I'm sure there are some of Gram's fans here who would otherwise not be able to see what his final resting place looks like,

As for Gram's wishes, to make a long story short, his friends tried to cremate his body in the desert and were not successful.
Gram's stepfather (from New Orleans) recovered the body and brought him to N.O.
I posted a lengthy article above, that goes into much more detail.

Edith ,I've read only the "Joshua Tree " part of the article ....forgot the 2d & 3d ones ...,that's why I've asked.....
And I didn't mean that posting graves photos was weird,I meant that I felt myself strange to ask about details.

Keith on Gram Parson's passing :
“In a way, it’s a matter of lost love. Gram was everything you wanted in a singer and a songwriter. He was fun to be around, great to play with as a musician. And that motherf*cker could make chicks cry. I have never seen another man who could make hardened old waitresses at the Palomino Club in L.A. shed tears the way he did. “

“It was all in the man. I miss him so.”




Keith Richards, Gram Parsons, Anita Pallenberg (and crew) outside of Villa Nellcote, 1971.

[theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com]

And some more here :
Parson’s stepfather arranged for a private ceremony back in New Orleans, and neglected to invite any of his friends from the music industry. In a strange turn of events, Parsons’ body somehow disappeared from LAX before it could be shipped to New Orleans for burial. You see, prior to his death Parsons stated that he wished to be cremated at Joshua Tree and have his ashes spread over Cap Rock, a prominent natural feature there. To fulfill Parsons’ “funeral” wishes, Phil Kaufman and a friend stole his body from LAX and drove it in a hearse to Joshua Tree– where they attempted to cremate it by pouring five gallons of gasoline into the open coffin and throwing a lit match inside. What resulted was an enormous fireball. Police chased them, but according to one account they were unencumbered by sobriety and got away. The two were arrested several days later. Since there was no law against stealing a dead body, they were only fined around $750 for stealing the coffin, and were surprisingly not prosecuted for leaving 35 lbs of Gram Parsons’ charred remains in the desert.



I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

In :Gram Parsons: Fallen Angel- Gandulf Hennig interview


TW: And how about the musicians....And of course Keith Richards from the Stones, under whose spell Gram fell, and that sort of led him head first into heroin and general dissolution-although he was heading in that direction anyway. But was it difficult to secure their participation-was it difficult to get Keith Richards to talk, for example?


GH :I must say, Keith Richards-I wouldn't say Gram fell under his spell or he got into heroin-this is all the stories that we've heard and the cliches that we've got of Keith Richards. I don't think Gram Parsons needed anybody to introduce drugs to him. He was no stranger to drugs before he met Keith Richards, and when you see the film you see that Keith 30 years down the road still cares about Gram a lot.

TW: Yes, it's very obvious, isn't it, that Gram made a huge contribution to his knowledge and understanding of country music. And he still remembers that and he expresses his-he's clearly grateful for that. Was there anything that Keith wouldn't talk about in relation to Gram?

GH: Well... no, not really. I mean that's always a difficult question, when people ask me, what is not in the film. Some things are not in the film and I have good reasons for not putting them in to the film, but I prefer to answer questions referring to what is in the film, actually. I hope you understand that, Tony.
[www.abc.net.au]



I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

Thanks very much for photos Edithgrove . I have been at Cap Rock Joshua Tree and hope to make it to New Orleans at some point in time to pay my respects the great man.

Quote
hickorywind
Thanks very much for photos Edithgrove . I have been at Cap Rock Joshua Tree and hope to make it to New Orleans at some point in time to pay my respects the great man.

If you go to the cemetery, you might want to stop by the office and have someone show you where the grave is.
I had the plot number when I went and thought I could find it easily.
Gram is buried in a somewhat remote part of the cemetery and not very well marked.
I found myself walking for about forty-five minutes before finding the grave.

'Great talent, influence and tragedy'

Winter Haven music legend Gram Parsons has cultural influence

By BOB GERNERT
Special to the News Chief


Gram Parsons enjoys cult-like status among those who study and appreciate the earliest blending of country and rock music. He disliked the term "country-rock" and offered Cosmic American" as an alternative.

The first part of his story appeared in the News Chief on Oct. 9. In that story, it was noted that Winter Haven was Parson's home in the late 1950s and early '60s as he emulated early rock heroes and began to form his own musical concepts.

He was born Cecil Ingram Connor on Nov. 5, 1946, in Waycross, Ga., to Cecil "Coon Dog" Connor Jr., and Avis Snively Connor.

After his father died on Dec. 25, 1958, Gram returned to Winter Haven from boarding school. His mother later married Robert Ellis Parsons. He formally adopted 15-year-old Gram and his sister, Avis.

It was then that Cecil Ingram Connor's name was legally changed to Gram Parsons.

In 1963, Gram moved to Greenville, S.C., and joined a folk group called The Shilos.

He was 17 years old.

The group enjoyed a fair degree of success including gigs at dances, coffee houses, colleges and on television.

In March 1965, the Shilos recorded nine tracks at the radio station of Bob Jones University.

These recordings were released many years later on an album called Gram Parsons: The Early Years, Volume 1.

It was during 1965 that Parsons briefly attended Harvard University. It is said he remained much more interested in music than higher learning.

His freshman adviser was the Rev. James Ellison "Jet" Thomas who became a close friend.

It was about this time that Gram formed the original International Submarine Band.

He played guitar and sang vocals, John Nuese played lead guitar, Mickey Gauvin was on drums and Ian Dunlop played bass. Dunlop named the group.

Money was scarce and the group eventually split in the spring of 1967. There was disagreement on the direction their music was taking.

Parsons and Nuese stayed with the name and took the band to a true country sound.

Parsons returned to Winter Haven to convince Jesse Chambers and Jon Corneal to join him in Los Angeles to record with the International Submarine Band.

Chambers elected not to cross the country, but Corneal joined Parsons in California.

By Christmas, the band had finished "Safe at Home," considered by many to be the first country-rock LP.

The album faded from the scene except for collectors and dedicated Parsons fans. The album is now available on CD from Sierra Records.

Gram began to frequent recording sessions of The Byrds.

He became friends with Chris Hillman and they shared a passion for true country music.

When David Crosby left the Byrds, Hillman asked Gram to join them.

By February 1968, Gram Parsons was a full-fledged member of the recording group.

In 1968, The Byrds recorded their only country album: Sweetheart of the Rodeo.

Considered by many to be a classic, Parsons is credited with influence on the album.

Within six months, Gram had left the group.

In 1969, he formed the Flying Burrito Brothers along with fellow ex-Byrd Chris Hillman, "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow and Chris Ethridge.

Their album, "Guilded Palace of Sin" took its inspiration from southern soul and urban country music.

The album was followed by "Burrito Deluxe" which did not attain the success of the earlier release.

The band was having internal problems and Parsons was on the slippery slope of increasing drug and alcohol dependency.

Later in 1970, he had a motorcycle accident and left the group.

Soon he married model Gretchen Burrell. They honeymooned at Disneyland and spent time with friends both in Europe and the United States.

Parsons was hanging with the Rolling Stones during their recording of "Exile on Main Street."

He is credited for influencing such Stone's songs as "Country Honk," "Dead Flowers" and "Wild Horses."

In 1971, Parsons was introduced to singer Emmylou Harris.

They would later complete the album "G.P." with the assistance of Elvis Presley's regular back-up band.

Harris and Parsons worked to complete a second album, "Grievous Angel," termed a "triumph" for the duets that showcased the chemistry of their partnership.

On Sept. 19, 1973, Gram Parsons died of drug and alcohol toxicity in Joshua Tree, Calif.

Parsons was fond of this area of the Mojave/Sonoran Deserts and had once commented that he wanted to be cremated in the Joshua Tree Desert.

In a bizarre twist to this final chapter, Parson's road manager Phil Kaufman, took his coffin and gasoline to the desert and attempted just that.

The 26 year-old's remains were ultimately interred in Louisiana.

Had he lived, he would be 64 years old as of this writing (September 2011).

Why Parson's never achieved real fame is the subject of much speculation among his devoted fans.

His songwriting, voice and his choice of musicians were true talents.

His influence has been associated with such groups as The Eagles, Poco, U2, Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

As one writer stated, "Having lived a life that raised a few eyebrows, Parsons may seem to be the antithesis to an upbringing in a typically conservative Central Florida town."

But his story is one of talent and tragedy ... a chapter of Winter Haven's history.

About the series: These articles are researched and written by Bob Gernert with the Museum of Winter Haven History. He is also the executive director of the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce. Information for this series has been assembled from internet sources including (www.dizzyrambler.com) (www.musicfinder.yahoo.com), (www.gramparsons.com), local articles and former acquaintances of Gram Parsons.

[www.newschief.com]

thanks. any gram fan needs the 2 cd edition of the byrds-sweetheart of the rodeo. only thing i wish they included their grand ol opry performances

Thanx for posting/updating,I just recently read 20,000 roads(great read)and have been getting all his music I can(legit & boots)I still need to find the early years(vol 1 & 2) Next time I'm in NO will check out his gravesite ...for sure....thanx again

Thanks Edith ....



ROCKMAN