Forty years ago today, Gram Parsons died of a drug overdose at the Joshua Tree National Monument in California.
When we think of “the day the music died,” we think of the Don McLean song about the plane crash that claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, “The Big Bopper,” and others. But today might be the other day the music died. Aaron Goldstein has a good post up on the deaths of Parsons (September 19, 1973) and Jim Croce (September 20, 1973.)
Because he was just 26-years-old when he died, and probably because he blended rock and country (before that was cool), Parsons’ contributions are greatly underrated. At this point, he is neither in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or the Country Music Hall of Fame.
You can sign the petition to have him inducted into the latter here.