Every Friday around 11 a.m. Central, it’s time for Classic Americana on Radio Heartland. We pull a special track from the archives or from deep in the shelves to spotlight a particular artist or song.

This week for Classic Americana, we spotlight singer and songwriter Gram Parsons, born Ingram Connor III on November 5, 1946, in Winter Haven, Florida. The artist’s first name, of course, is a shortening of his full name, Ingram, and the surname Parsons came when Gram’s father died and he later took the surname of his stepfather, Robert Parsons, after his mother remarried.

At age 10, Parsons was inspired to get into music after seeing a performance by Elvis Presley. By high school, Parsons’ musical interests had shifted from rock ‘n’ roll to folk music, in line with the folk revival of the late 1950s and early 1960s. These two musical formats would join other styles as Parsons developed what he called “cosmic American music” — that is, a delightful blend of country, rhythm & blues, folk, rock, and soul music. It’s what Parsons would be best remembered for, given his time making music with iconic groups like the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers.

The latter group originated in Los Angeles in the late 1960s, and in 1969, the Flying Burrito Brothers released their debut album, The Gilded Palace of Sin.

The opening track on that album is “Christine’s Tune” — often called “Devil in Disguise” from an oft-repeated phrase in the lyrics. The song was co-written by Parsons and his frequent collaborator Chris Hillman. It’s our Classic Americana pick this week on Radio Heartland.

Parsons left us all too soon at the young age of 26 back in 1973. This past Wednesday marked the 79th anniversary of Parsons’ birth.

External Links

Gram Parsons – full discography at Discogs