Hickory Wind

"Hickory Wind" was written by Gram Parsons during his International Submarine Band days in the early 1960s, with bandmate Bob Buchanan. Parsons later recorded it with the Byrds for Sweetheart of the Rodeo, one of the few cuts on which his lead vocal wasn't overdubbed by Roger McGuinn. He later released it with Emmyou Harris on Grievous Angel. Parsons caused a controversy during the Byrds' one and only Grand Ole Opry appearance in 1968 when MC Tompall Glazer introduced Life in Prison Sing Me Back Home, but Parsons sang Hickory Wind instead. The audience was already heckling the hippies (who had actually gotten haircuts before the performance), and they booed the seeming disrespect for Glazer. Times have changed.

Gram Parsons was with the Byrds for less than a year, replacing David Crosby. There is some dispute about his reason for leaving the group, but it seems likely that it had something to do with the Byrds' planned concert in apartheid South Africa. Instead, he hung out with the Rolling Stones, visiting Stonehenge with them (no pun invited) and introducing Keith Richards to country music.

Comments

[Ingram Cecil Connor III]

Good selection of Gram's song covers. One minor correction: At the Opry,Tompall introduced Haggard's "Sing Me Back Home" not "Life in Prison" It's described in your first clip's intro.

Gram died at 26 (one year short of the 27 Club). Why do so many good musicians die young -- Brian Jones, Gram, Hendrix, Janis, Winehouse & Robert Johnson. Many were ruined by success.

[Scott England]

Gram Parsons was one of the greats. I have almost everything he ever recorded, and I love all of it.

[anon]

add Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison.