IN SEARCH OF GRAM PARSONS

The Joshua Tree Inn was Gram Parson's favourite place to stay, and he died there in Room 8, aged 26 in 1973

I absolutely love Gram's music, so when we visited Joshua Tree National Park, I wanted to stay at the Joshua Tree Inn. Room 8 was booked up and I think I was a bit relieved about that. But in the morning when the guests had left, we asked if we could take a look inside. "Sure as long as you guys don't do anything weird in there," was the reply.

At the funeral of a friend, a few months before Gram died, he made a pact with his road manager, Phil Kaufman that if either of them died young, they wanted their body to be taken to the desert at Joshua Tree and burned.

Gram’s family had arranged a conventional funeral, and his body was was en route to New Orleans from the Joshua Tree Inn. Remembering the pact, and also Gram’s dislike of his step-father, Kaufman and another friend Michael Martin posed as funeral directors, stole his coffin from Los Angeles Airport and drove to the desert in a hearse. Once there, they doused his body in gasoline, and set him alight. You can read the full story here The Strange Tale of Gram Parsons’ Funeral in Joshua Tree.

Fans often set up makeshift memorials at that spot in the desert, but the National Park Service keeps removing them. When we visited, there was no sign of a memorial, but I knew the location was near Cap Rock. We searched the area and, guided by the shape of the rocks on the ground, we finally found the spot.

Another young man safely strummed
His silver string guitar
And he played to people everywhere
Some say he was a star
But he was just a country boy
His simple songs confess
And the music he had in him
So very few possess

In my hour of darkness
In my time of need
Oh Lord, grant me vision
Oh Lord, grant me speed

IN MY HOUR OF DARKNESS – GRAM PARSONS

Rest in peace Gram, and thank you for the music.