Addiction is a very cunning disease. Its normally a progression that starts out innocent enough for most all addicts. With me I had 3 phases during my 20 years of using. First is was what I’ll call the fun stage. Second stage was fun now mixed in with trouble. Third phase was nothing but trouble. Trouble in marriage, trouble at work, trouble functioning as a human being. Finally after so much trouble I got the help I needed and have been clean since 1984. I was blessed to find my way. Unfortunately for Gram he didn’t. What a beautiful man he was.
His father committed suicide 2 days before Christmas, when Gram was 12, and his mother died from alcohol poisoning near the time he was graduating from high school. With such genetic history coupled with being a trust fund kid it’s sad but not hard to understand. Money, and even talent, don’t always bring happiness.
So very true. His biography is basically a rundown of the mid-'60s to early 70's music industry: the Byrds, the Stones, Emmy Lou Harris, and the Grand Ol' Opry. His influence was extensive but he just didn't have that breakthrough single or album. And then it all ended at Joshua Tree... Of course, he wasn't alone in his fatal drug addiction: Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and so many others. Is it any wonder that the Betty Ford clinic was established a couple of years after Gram's death and rehab became an industry?
@@EmersumBiggins In interviews, Emmylou has said that she was on the verge of seeeing if her relationship with Gram went beyond just music when he died.
Gram Parsons A very amazing man. He was very influential in music history. Both of his solo albums that i have heard are Good i recommend you go buy them. RIP GP
@@Brucev7 how do you know he didnt? He sang a few songs thar were old biblical hyms. Maybe your god didnt need him here longer than he was. "Gram loved the christian life" Ever heard the song? How about "Farther along"
@@lastnamefirst4035 How could he be a 'New Man' if he chose to be an unrepentant sinner? 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:
@@Brucev7 idk and dont care. However I do know the bible. Once u have accepted rhe lord as your savior are a christian for all eternity. What do you know of his life anyway? From what I have read he was a very polite sourhern genrleman. YOU just want to judge him so you can believe you are better than others. You're not. Judging is a sin. Shame shame on you
There is a problem that often happens with opiate users who have developed opiate tolerance. If they don't use opiates for a while, their tolerance, temporarily goes down. If, during that time, they fall of the wagon and use, they frequently will ingest the amount that they had been using previously, and, because they have this temporary low tolerance, they overdose. This is why so many people die when they fail off the wagon. They take a high dose that they used to tolerate, and it kills them. This happened to Prince. It has probably happened to many others. I wonder if it happened to Gram ... Emmylou, as always, is generous with her assessment.
@Voracious Reader well i do recall the coroner stating gram had a couple of seizures. He suffered from epilepsy...u can read about it. Im sick of how gram parsons died. What difference does it make? He's dead
Gram had faults who didn't she said it kind hearted kindred soul ...absolutely one song writing, musician and lover life ....jd miss him everyday no more judging please wait your turn
An unfortunately not well known fact about opiates is that if you don't use them for a while, your tolerance reverts back to what a non user's tolerance is. So you think you can tolerate an xx dose, but, in fact, you can't, and you overdose. This is probably what happened to Prince, and you hear about it happening to others. They were doing well, had stopped using, and then they fall off the wagon and take the dose they are used to taking, and it kills them. I don't know if that happened to Gram Parsons, but Emmylou suggests that it did. I'm sure that back then very few people knew about this, and quite a few still don't. I was on the fentanyl patch at a high dose, so I knew about this, and knew that I would lose my opioid tolerance temporarily when I went off of it (thank goodness I got my pain fixed and was able to get off of it). If I were to take that high dose again without building up to it it would probably kill me. So sad to have lost him. Can you imagine if he and Emmylou were still able to make music together?
The greater the heartache, the greater the talent/genius. Such a plaintive voice that just is heart breaking because his family was dysfunctional to colossal Southern Gothic proportions. Father suicide. Idolizes step father. Alcoholic gold digger step father "kills" mother by bringing booze to her in hospital after being admitted for cirrhosis. Gram finds out. The guy was doomed. But you hear it in his voice and in his songs and it's what makes them powerful beyond belief. Tragic genius.
I believe that people like Gram and Dennis Wilson are angels put on earth..being on this planet hurts their souls, they self-medicate, but they do what they are here to do, and for their sakes, the sojourn is brief, but their legacy is long.
@ImNotMad ButUR If you read alot as I did prhaps you read the book Trailblazers which has 3 sections about, Gram Parsons, Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley. It seems to be well researched with info I had not previously known. I thought I had read all the same over again about Gram. If you enjoy the other 2 musicisns then I think you will like the book. I always find Nick Drake's life very sad and depressing (obviously so did he) but his music beautiful
I think most of us when being offered every drug under the sun all the time, it would be tough not to jump in and have fun. Especially at his age, we all thought we were invincible. It's tough for folks to stay away from it when it's hard to get so just think of everywhere you went folks were giving you this is that. And with such a hectic schedule and not wanting to miss any fun it's easy to see how what might start as a pick me up soon becomes a problem. The trouble with trouble is it always starts out as a little fun.
@chelleglenney156 It is absolutely true that we thought we were 10 foot tall and bulletproof in our 20's. That is the issue. Gram had all the money he needed, he used it to have fun, it killed him. We don't think we will die in our 20's and take all the chances we can. Plus, it was a different time in our history. He was such a talent, yet didn't acknowledge his talent. He took it for granted and figured he had tons of time to make an impression on the world. Unfortunately, he was wrong.
I admire Chris Hillman's musical ability, but I wish he could ease up on Gram after all these years. I prefer Emmy's attitude; understanding and love for someone who brought so much joy yet suffered himself.
@Custis Longly It must have been irritating to hillman who I think had more talent than gram yet gram got all the attention. Not bc of his talent but rather how he looked, lived and died
@Custis Longly Granted, Gram was addicted, took his fatal overdose himself, and could be hard to deal with, but Hillman seems unable to forgive Gram for his posthumous fame. Hillman lost his father to suicide too but seems unable to extend much compassion to Gram, who in Hillman's own words was both unstable and lonely. I read an interview where Gram refers to Hillman quite mildly, even though they had fallen out and Hillman had smashed his guitar. I'm tired of hearing Chris point out all Gram's flaws.
@@margaretross9150 I dont think Ive ever heard hillman say much good about gram and he seems so angry when asked. Hillman is a good musician but i cant stand him otherwise. Ive seen him on shows talk about being a christian gag gag gag
It is a disease not a moral failing. It's how your brain is wired. Some people can take it or leave it. Me, every single thing I've ever tried in my life I became dependent on. But the good news is that once you figure this out about yourself and quit fooling yourself that you can dabble with the stuff like other people do, change becomes possible. Took me 30 years to figure it out though.
What can you say about being any human being. When the internal pain at various times becomes alternatively thought intrusive and/or just below the surface, the default inclination is to reach for relief. Exhibit A. There's a lot of self medicating substances being used everyday. I'm pretty sure each one of us has a special Gram Parsons in their hearts or lives or wish they did. So never miss the chance to say the phase "I love you" to a person or world that craves love but feels denied.
Anybody that has ever done smack will tell you that it makes the bad shit go away instantly. It fills the hole you think you have in your soul. It's the opposite of exercise. Smack, you feel great instantly and you hurt later, exercise you hurt when you start and you feel great later. Neil Young said it best " Every Junkie Is Like A Setting Sun" I strongly suggest EXERCISE.
Have managed to not use heroin. My best friend from gradeschool got into it and got hepatitis c and died 😢 Same thing, it made her feel safe in a way she never could without drugs. I remember visiting her and she was always antsy and nervous, like she needed to be somewhere other than me. I now realize she was trying to figure out her next hit, because withdrawal was going to be horrible. I also believe that we handle this issue completely wrong. Just make it so people who are addicted can get their fix in a clean and safe way. Then work on recovery, which might or might not happen.
Very true and well said @DNB DNB . Opiates a.k.a. "PAINkillers", contrary to popular belief, do absolutely nothing to reduce physical pain. Rather they get you so high that you don't give a shit and all your senses are sort of relegated to the background. That works equally if not better on emotional pain as it does on the physical kind. As an addict in recovery for some years now I can tell u that Hillman is most def too harsh on Gram. He never walked a mile in that man's shoes, nor felt his pain. I can almost assure u that Gram never set out to be a junkie. And had he lived it's very possible that he could have beaten the addiction and gone on to be an incredible man! Even more so than he already was! But like many of my friends and so many others who suffer from Opiate addiction, he passed before he got that chance. It's a sad and cautionary tale. But at least we have the incredible music that Gram made while he was here! I know I am certainly grateful for that. R.I.P GRAM!
@Voracious Reader LOL idk where you're getting this info from? Do you have a source(or a link to this "cOrOnEr's RePoRt")? Because everything I have read has stated that he died from the morphine overdose. As well as the accounts of his death from those there being consistent with an opiate overdose and the subsequent respiratory depression leading to cardiac arrest(aka he stopped breathing, thus stopping his heart)... However I don't really know how or why any of that matters?? My statement applies regardless of which specific substance(s) caused his death. I guess I could edit my comment to simply say "addiction" rather than "opiate addiction". But honestly who cares. Everything i said still applies. For someone who seems to think they know a lot about addiction and the substances and physical effects involved, you seem to be seriously lacking in the compassion and empathy department. If only we all could be as perfect as you think you are🙄😆👍
If you have a friend with a problem like that you can bring them food water and non alcoholic drinks, and it's okay to check up on your friend. Do not blame yourself when tragedy catches up because you can't save everyone.
True but only the addict or user can choose to stop. I have 2 alcoholic friends who I keep at a distance. Both know they have a problem. Neither wants to change. One I think actually likes having this problem. He got very angry with me when I told him he drinks too much. Not much more I can do. Haven't talked to him for months sadly. I can't handle this weakness in people. I'm compassionate but not committed to a relationship that is drowned in alcohol
@@american_cosmic reread what I wrote. Only the addict can choose to stop. It is a weakness. It is not strength. People do beat addiction sometimes. Sometimes they don't. I do know what I'm talking about. I don't mince words and use soft language to deny reality.
@@american_cosmic so who has to ultimately stop drinking? The drunk, not you. Apparently you do deny reality. I know of what I speak. I have alcoholic friends. I can't stop them. I can only control myself. They need to quit. Stop talking in circles. You repeat the same empty comment without offering any substance to the contrary.
gosh its years since I read that book ,and this comment is pretty old, but I would have to say the sub title of that book should be 'the assassination of Gram Parsons, its Hillman's revenge and I don't like the tone of the book though in many ways its essential reading for Gram freaks
@@lastnamefirst4035 ....i don't disagree , the fact he and McGuinn took 'sweetheart ' out on a 50th anniversary tour amuses me .Hillman has anger issues generally, a lot of Byrd commentators have made that point. The book referred to isn't a bad read at all , he just let Hillman mouth off too much., ignore that and there's decent info in it
Actually heroin addiction can be classed as a disease, a psychiatrist from Newcastle University who works in criminal profiling came to asses me and my partner and when i received his results it said "Opiate dependence syndrome" so i guess you can say that is a medical condition. Plus we have been clean for 6 years.
If you want us to look up the word "sin", then why don't you go ahead and look up the word "disease". As a former addict, I can meet you half way in saying that a lot of people take on a defeatist attitude and ignore their role on how things came to be and what they have to do to fix it. And it all has to do with a LOT more than its being a disease. But until you've been through it, there is no way to understand how it can take over and make a person unable to understand what's really going on.
thanks for the editing work.I have since learned propensity but I appreciate the help as I recognize my shortcomings. We all make mistakes..that is called sin also..in the pure ' biblical sense of the word which means "to fall short". You should look up the word 'gift". If it has a price attached to it then it is not a gift.
Sammy Scotch probably she did the unthinkable. But at the very least she stole Emmylou collaborative album with Gram from her, took her off the credits and the cover, and refused to allow her to attend Gram’s funeral. She filed for possession of all GRAM’s assets the.day after he died and lied to the court about being a grieving widow of a happy marriage, when everyone knew he had stopped all contact with her and was filing for a divorce.
@@thomasminarchickjr.7355 No. She states they only had a deep friendship and professional relationship. He looked very happy in her presence. She has more recently acknowledged she was in love with him and was going to tell him the next time she saw him, but time tragically ran out on them.
I agree with Hillman wholeheartedly that there are genetic factors at play with addictive behaviors. I saw this up close and personal in my own family for 50 long years. Of course environment can play a role and all people are different, but I've seen otherwise normal-appearing people carry on destructively for decades without hope, regardless of love and support. And in between, when they're clean, they still act like addicts. It's a terrible thing.
Addiction is not a disease. It's bad choices in the moment to feel better now, regardless of later consequences. All our of behavior has moral implications.
It's not a desease, it is simply a lack of curtailment of our human desire to seek pleasure , and escape reality! We have all lost people we love to this and calling it a desease instead of a weakness simply makes us feel better while giving licence to someone else to do what he should not because he can't help it.
@edzep54 I must have missed something so I reread my post......self righteousness = talking about self...sorry I don't see that in my comments = a doctor can help no one who doesn't recognize their own problem = even AA preaches recognition of your own problem ... Thanks for your comments b/c that means you have read what I have written. I am a gram parsons fan as well as chris hillman and emmylou... if YOU listen to what they said Mick Jagger told Gram......it sounds like Mick agrees with me
ImNotMad ButUR No. yes he did all those things. For years. Something hit him suddenly when he got that second injection that night and it wasn’t morphine.
@@mattthompson9826 I wonder if he felt betrayed and angry do to the fact, that after a fire/losing eveything you have, and planned divorce proceeding , his old neighbor Furay, of POCO, who touted of Grams darkness, wrote a non- complimentary song about him called "crazy eyes" and stold Grams writing of his precious mother's song brass buttons, ( beat him at putting it out on his last album, GRAM WAS KIND ENOUGH TO TEACH IT TO HIM WHEN THEY LIVED AS NEIGHBORS IN GREENWICH VILLAGE NY ) was shown the album by ducky duck ( a band that befriended him ) 4 days before he died!!!! He had had enough put downs ...GOD SAID TO RELEAVE THOSE THAT ARE OPRESSED , WE ARE TO FIGHT THE demons off them NOT THEM......Ducky Duck played POCO album /furay songs, for Gram , and they said he cried, really hard, very very sad!!! Read this from the band Ducky Duck somewhere online....I AM CALLING FOR A REPENTANCE, FROM, NOW, PASTOR FURAY ON THAT ...
As a musician most of my life, I know how it feels, and hate it when people use a mistake or problem, as some sorta gauge for, or like it's a negative reflection on your integrity or character as a person! Life as an artist is tough enough without that! We already have to spend our lives being treated as if at some point, we've given up all rights of privacy & being just a normal human! Think about how it is, not being able to do the simplest things, people take for granted. Like just going to a store for a Coke, or sitting down to eat a burger somewhere, in peace & quiet. Without having to be disguised first, and risk being bombarded by a crowd. Or asked for an autograph while taking a piss!
And if you have been through it and you are recovering, then the best I can say is good luck and God bless you. And be careful about how militant you might get about things. From my own observations, I can say that the more radical a person's approach is to recovery, the more likely they are to relapse when they realize that the world doesn't bend to them and the harder they fall. And if they do manage to stay clean, they usually turn into hyper-cynical pricks.
Could be the old school friend he had started dating. Unfortunately she had become a heroin addict so no-one Gram should have been hanging with if he wanted to get sober. He'd had a tough summer; the death of Clarence White, his house burned down, and his marriage ended. I doubt he was in the best mental shape but such a loss.
yep............I corrected the word addition to addiction...............yep....drugs will do that to your spelling..........I guess you didn't listen to Mick bawling him out...............yep..i got first hand experience..........I am not sitting in judgment.............i feel for Chris and emmylou.........they shared the hurt of losing someone they loved...
@@mickeyphillips6603 idk maybe bc whenever he is interviewed he is asked about gram but not about himself and chris knew gram very well (being roommates and band mates) people are in awe of gram but chris, meh...not so much. Idk. Ive really no idea why I made that comment. Chris is an outstanding musician I think more so than gram and gram was good
@ImNotMad ButUR Thanks for that. I never knew much about Gram. I heard about him on a music documentary, and then I started doing some research on him. Thanks again!!
I think Gram died from alcohol & morphine mix .. it's a deadly mix & people die from that mix all the time .. Hillman talks like he's so self righteous , like he's Mr perfect . All you perfect , caring people ᕙ( : ˘ ∧ ˘ : )ᕗ
According to Keith's bio , Gram was with The Stones Spring of 72 while they were in the South of France making Exile. Nick & Anita took a dislike to Gram and when he began tapping into their personal stash Anita sent him packing and Keith was too strung out to interfere. There was no further contact with Parsons who died in over a year later.
Keith in his book does describe reuniting with Gram in 1972 or '73 in L.A. They rode motorcycles, as Gram said, "through the cracks of the city" to find a dealer. Not sure why Keith would make that up, but if true the idea that Keith abandoned Gram after 1971 is just a myth.
According to Keith's bio , Gram was with The Stones Spring of 72 while they were in the South of France making Exile. Nick & Anita took a dislike to Gram and when he began tapping into their personal stash Anita sent him packing and Keith was too strung out to interfere. There was no further contact with Parsons who died in over a year later.
burman smith Yes, that is how I understood it too . Emmyou might be speaking of someone who was with him at Joshua Tree on that last fateful stay :( So sad
@@shannondawn44 I think that person was Margaret Fisher, but I don't she should be pillared for it. Gram wouldn't have taken much persuasion unfortunately. The two others who were with Gram seem to have vanished into the ether
Yeah, nobody is responsible for their drug habits, people who don’t use drugs and don’t associate with those who do because they’ve seen one to the left fall and then the one on the right go down are just rigid pricks... I’m a rigid prick. Hate me.
@BrandonTxOthor no offense taken. I am a gram parsons fan and feel the loss as well as others. if you listen to mick jaggers comments that they quoted ........he was telling Gram to get on with it......so YES even Mick believed it a choice..........
I will never understand is , what is so great about mixing rock & roll music , with slow and boring country music ? Especially when Chuck Berry was already doing it . A yeah , Chuck Berry was Black . Gram wasn't doing anything new.
If you never try the drug you won't get addicted to it. Except for those born addicted because of the mother's use while pregnant. As far as GOD goes, you must first believe in GOD. If you truly believe in GOD this pertains to you. It is a sin because you are not suppose to pollute your body or alter your mind so as not to be able to make sound, moral, ethical decisions. But good news, if you believe in GOD you can be delivered from any addiction or disease.You just have to ask AND listen.
It is not a disease....it is a moral failing!! Gram lost track of who he was and his upbringing however stressed!! Fame and money does that!! So would not want to go up the mountain with Gram but if he had: he might have made it!! Mountains cleanse the soul!! And Liberate you from your burdens!!
Yes. Keep your judgement to youself as Jesus instructed you to. We all have sin supposedly with none being greater than another; so get off your high horse.
According to Keith's bio , Gram was with The Stones Spring of 72 while they were in the South of France making Exile. Mick & Anita took a dislike to Gram and when he began tapping into their personal stash Anita sent him packing and Keith was too strung out to interfere. There was no further contact with Parsons who died in over a year later.
burman smith Exile was released in May of 1972 and was recorded in France in 1971 so your dates are incorrect. The Stones then headed to LA in late 1971 and finished it there. Gram was in contact with Keith until his death in 1973. Gram was with him when the Stones were completing and mixing Exile in LA in 1971 so he was in contact with him after being sent home from France for being out of control. Hard thing to do in that crowd! Keith was on a European tour in 1973 when Gram passed away
IT IS NOT A DISEASE.............IT IS SIN...when people insist on calling it a disease they remove themselves from the responsibility of taking action against the problem. Yes some have a greater perpensity to drugs and additions but drugs can be beaten as well as any other addition. 1 Recognition 2 Repentance 3 Recovery and no it isn't easy.
i think parsons' was a loser and eventually would have dragged emmylou down; but she didn't seem to make good choices in her life either ; being married three times; but what a beautiful women with a undisputed fabulous voice.
deluxe05rrt I don’t think he would’ve. His problem wasn’t even that known to her. I don’t think he’s a loser in any regard. He made an impact bigger than most of us ever will and that’s all he wanted to do. He wasn’t motivated by money because he already had it. Pure soul.
Kelly, I highly doubt that you are a medical profesionall, just a garden variety ' pseudo expert'on addiction. Your words prove that you know nothing of addiction. Gram never 'bought'anything. He was damned as a young child when the chain of events that ruined his life began. He didn't choose losing both parents before the age of 18. He didn't 'choose' his genetics. But go ahead with your bad ass self and sit in judgement of someone you never met, know nothing of personally. You and Gram both had ( have ) demons, just a different kind of demon. Your 'demon'is called 'IGNORANCE'
Addiction is a very cunning disease. Its normally a progression that starts out innocent enough for most all addicts. With me I had 3 phases during my 20 years of using. First is was what I’ll call the fun stage. Second stage was fun now mixed in with trouble. Third phase was nothing but trouble. Trouble in marriage, trouble at work, trouble functioning as a human being. Finally after so much trouble I got the help I needed and have been clean since 1984. I was blessed to find my way. Unfortunately for Gram he didn’t. What a beautiful man he was.
great testimony Mr wecandobetter9821. I too got clean in 1984 as well. The LORD is gracious in HIS ways.
His father committed suicide 2 days before Christmas, when Gram was 12, and his mother died from alcohol poisoning near the time he was graduating from high school. With such genetic history coupled with being a trust fund kid it’s sad but not hard to understand. Money, and even talent, don’t always bring happiness.
True
The saddest thing is that Gram was right on the cusp of major stardom and of a passionate love affair with Emmylou when he died.
So very true. His biography is basically a rundown of the mid-'60s to early 70's music industry: the Byrds, the Stones, Emmy Lou Harris, and the Grand Ol' Opry. His influence was extensive but he just didn't have that breakthrough single or album. And then it all ended at Joshua Tree... Of course, he wasn't alone in his fatal drug addiction: Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and so many others. Is it any wonder that the Betty Ford clinic was established a couple of years after Gram's death and rehab became an industry?
I heard Gram and Emmy had a strictly professional relationship. I think Gram was with Polly's mom
You assume the “love affair”. Gram was married to Gretchen.
@@doitnowvideosyeah5841 Professionalism had to turn into personal and it did.
@@EmersumBiggins In interviews, Emmylou has said that she was on the verge of seeeing if her relationship with Gram went beyond just music when he died.
It's just amazing how MUCH some people achieve in their 20's.Astounding really.
In fact that is usually when one accomplishes the best rock and roll
Gram Parsons A very amazing man. He was very influential in music history. Both of his solo albums that i have heard are Good i recommend you go buy them. RIP GP
Well stated
Gram Parsons always remembered and forever the "One sweet soul" we wished had been saved.
@Voracious Reader lol
If He knew Jesus, Lord Jesus Christ could have saved him. John 14:6
@@Brucev7 how do you know he didnt? He sang a few songs thar were old biblical hyms. Maybe your god didnt need him here longer than he was. "Gram loved the christian life" Ever heard the song? How about "Farther along"
@@lastnamefirst4035 How could he be a 'New Man' if he chose to be an unrepentant sinner?
20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:
@@Brucev7 idk and dont care. However I do know the bible. Once u have accepted rhe lord as your savior are a christian for all eternity. What do you know of his life anyway? From what I have read he was a very polite sourhern genrleman. YOU just want to judge him so you can believe you are better than others. You're not. Judging is a sin. Shame shame on you
once that needle goes in, it never really comes out. I was unpleasantly surprised to find out that old " habits " never die, they just hibernate.
There is a problem that often happens with opiate users who have developed opiate tolerance. If they don't use opiates for a while, their tolerance, temporarily goes down. If, during that time, they fall of the wagon and use, they frequently will ingest the amount that they had been using previously, and, because they have this temporary low tolerance, they overdose.
This is why so many people die when they fail off the wagon. They take a high dose that they used to tolerate, and it kills them.
This happened to Prince. It has probably happened to many others. I wonder if it happened to Gram ...
Emmylou, as always, is generous with her assessment.
@Voracious Reader well i do recall the coroner stating gram had a couple of seizures. He suffered from epilepsy...u can read about it. Im sick of how gram parsons died. What difference does it make? He's dead
@Voracious Reader The guy was just not salvageable.
That’s why if you enjoy it you don’t quit. You moderate it.
@@lastnamefirst4035 Cocaine and epilepsy are a bad combination
So Sad! Gram wish you WERE HERE: TO JAM! All those wishing/longing to know more check out the film= ON HERE= Fallen Angel
thank you for a compassionate answer. You have come a long way in your recovery and I am thankful for that. God bless you!
Gram had faults who didn't she said it kind hearted kindred soul ...absolutely one song writing, musician and lover life ....jd miss him everyday no more judging please wait your turn
An unfortunately not well known fact about opiates is that if you don't use them for a while, your tolerance reverts back to what a non user's tolerance is. So you think you can tolerate an xx dose, but, in fact, you can't, and you overdose.
This is probably what happened to Prince, and you hear about it happening to others. They were doing well, had stopped using, and then they fall off the wagon and take the dose they are used to taking, and it kills them.
I don't know if that happened to Gram Parsons, but Emmylou suggests that it did. I'm sure that back then very few people knew about this, and quite a few still don't.
I was on the fentanyl patch at a high dose, so I knew about this, and knew that I would lose my opioid tolerance temporarily when I went off of it (thank goodness I got my pain fixed and was able to get off of it). If I were to take that high dose again without building up to it it would probably kill me.
So sad to have lost him. Can you imagine if he and Emmylou were still able to make music together?
Its common and well known
The greater the heartache, the greater the talent/genius. Such a plaintive voice that just is heart breaking because his family was dysfunctional to colossal Southern Gothic proportions. Father suicide. Idolizes step father. Alcoholic gold digger step father "kills" mother by bringing booze to her in hospital after being admitted for cirrhosis. Gram finds out. The guy was doomed. But you hear it in his voice and in his songs and it's what makes them powerful beyond belief. Tragic genius.
The Milky Way Amen well put 70yr ol man down in tx...jd
Grams mom died on the day, Gram graduated High school!
I didn't know this. Thank you
I believe that people like Gram and Dennis Wilson are angels put on earth..being on this planet hurts their souls, they self-medicate, but they do what they are here to do, and for their sakes, the sojourn is brief, but their legacy is long.
@ImNotMad ButUR If you read alot as I did prhaps you read the book Trailblazers which has 3 sections about, Gram Parsons, Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley. It seems to be well researched with info I had not previously known. I thought I had read all the same over again about Gram. If you enjoy the other 2 musicisns then I think you will like the book. I always find Nick Drake's life very sad and depressing (obviously so did he) but his music beautiful
I think most of us when being offered every drug under the sun all the time, it would be tough not to jump in and have fun. Especially at his age, we all thought we were invincible. It's tough for folks to stay away from it when it's hard to get so just think of everywhere you went folks were giving you this is that. And with such a hectic schedule and not wanting to miss any fun it's easy to see how what might start as a pick me up soon becomes a problem. The trouble with trouble is it always starts out as a little fun.
@chelleglenney156 It is absolutely true that we thought we were 10 foot tall and bulletproof in our 20's. That is the issue. Gram had all the money he needed, he used it to have fun, it killed him. We don't think we will die in our 20's and take all the chances we can. Plus, it was a different time in our history. He was such a talent, yet didn't acknowledge his talent. He took it for granted and figured he had tons of time to make an impression on the world. Unfortunately, he was wrong.
I admire Chris Hillman's musical ability, but I wish he could ease up on Gram after all these years. I prefer Emmy's attitude; understanding and love for someone who brought so much joy yet suffered himself.
Margaret Ross
Exactly. Btw, I agree that Hillman’s ability was good, but he was nowhere near Gram’s level. And Gram’s influence just confirms it.
Yeah, he still seems very angry. Sad
@Custis Longly It must have been irritating to hillman who I think had more talent than gram yet gram got all the attention. Not bc of his talent but rather how he looked, lived and died
@Custis Longly Granted, Gram was addicted, took his fatal overdose himself, and could be hard to deal with, but Hillman seems unable to forgive Gram for his posthumous fame. Hillman lost his father to suicide too but seems unable to extend much compassion to Gram, who in Hillman's own words was both unstable and lonely. I read an interview where Gram refers to Hillman quite mildly, even though they had fallen out and Hillman had smashed his guitar. I'm tired of hearing Chris point out all Gram's flaws.
@@margaretross9150 I dont think Ive ever heard hillman say much good about gram and he seems so angry when asked. Hillman is a good musician but i cant stand him otherwise. Ive seen him on shows talk about being a christian gag gag gag
I thank you for posting what must be the definitive word on this subject. RIP Gram.
let Gram rest💗💟
It is a disease not a moral failing. It's how your brain is wired. Some people can take it or leave it. Me, every single thing I've ever tried in my life I became dependent on. But the good news is that once you figure this out about yourself and quit fooling yourself that you can dabble with the stuff like other people do, change becomes possible. Took me 30 years to figure it out though.
What can you say about being any human being.
When the internal pain at various times becomes alternatively thought intrusive and/or just below the surface, the default inclination is to reach for relief.
Exhibit A. There's a lot of self medicating substances being used everyday. I'm pretty sure each one of us has a special Gram Parsons in their hearts or lives or wish they did. So never miss the chance to say the phase "I love you" to a person or world that craves love but feels denied.
Brilliant comment and very helpful.
Anybody that has ever done smack will tell you that it makes the bad shit go away instantly. It fills the hole you think you have in your soul. It's the opposite of exercise. Smack, you feel great instantly and you hurt later, exercise you hurt when you start and you feel great later. Neil Young said it best " Every Junkie Is Like A Setting Sun" I strongly suggest EXERCISE.
I smoke pot and then work out I do both...
stick to pot then, we're talking heroin here, that stuffs nasty business
Have managed to not use heroin. My best friend from gradeschool got into it and got hepatitis c and died 😢
Same thing, it made her feel safe in a way she never could without drugs.
I remember visiting her and she was always antsy and nervous, like she needed to be somewhere other than me. I now realize she was trying to figure out her next hit, because withdrawal was going to be horrible.
I also believe that we handle this issue completely wrong. Just make it so people who are addicted can get their fix in a clean and safe way. Then work on recovery, which might or might not happen.
Very true and well said @DNB DNB . Opiates a.k.a. "PAINkillers", contrary to popular belief, do absolutely nothing to reduce physical pain. Rather they get you so high that you don't give a shit and all your senses are sort of relegated to the background. That works equally if not better on emotional pain as it does on the physical kind. As an addict in recovery for some years now I can tell u that Hillman is most def too harsh on Gram. He never walked a mile in that man's shoes, nor felt his pain. I can almost assure u that Gram never set out to be a junkie. And had he lived it's very possible that he could have beaten the addiction and gone on to be an incredible man! Even more so than he already was! But like many of my friends and so many others who suffer from Opiate addiction, he passed before he got that chance. It's a sad and cautionary tale. But at least we have the incredible music that Gram made while he was here! I know I am certainly grateful for that. R.I.P GRAM!
You said it very well.
@Voracious Reader LOL idk where you're getting this info from? Do you have a source(or a link to this "cOrOnEr's RePoRt")? Because everything I have read has stated that he died from the morphine overdose. As well as the accounts of his death from those there being consistent with an opiate overdose and the subsequent respiratory depression leading to cardiac arrest(aka he stopped breathing, thus stopping his heart)... However I don't really know how or why any of that matters?? My statement applies regardless of which specific substance(s) caused his death. I guess I could edit my comment to simply say "addiction" rather than "opiate addiction". But honestly who cares. Everything i said still applies. For someone who seems to think they know a lot about addiction and the substances and physical effects involved, you seem to be seriously lacking in the compassion and empathy department. If only we all could be as perfect as you think you are🙄😆👍
WELL SAID...! AND - THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO GRAHAM! I KEEP TRYING TO TELL PEOPLE THE SAME THING BUT NOBODY LISTENS...🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
@Altwood Absolutely true
@@ATLWood13 voracious reader is slandering gram all through the comments on here.
Probably just a miserable person that has been found out about.
If you have a friend with a problem like that you can bring them food water and non alcoholic drinks, and it's okay to check up on your friend. Do not blame yourself when tragedy catches up because you can't save everyone.
True but only the addict or user can choose to stop. I have 2 alcoholic friends who I keep at a distance. Both know they have a problem. Neither wants to change. One I think actually likes having this problem. He got very angry with me when I told him he drinks too much. Not much more I can do. Haven't talked to him for months sadly. I can't handle this weakness in people. I'm compassionate but not committed to a relationship that is drowned in alcohol
@@tompaul2591 You say you're compassionate but you call addiction "weakness" - you dont know what you're talking about.
@@american_cosmic reread what I wrote. Only the addict can choose to stop. It is a weakness. It is not strength. People do beat addiction sometimes. Sometimes they don't. I do know what I'm talking about. I don't mince words and use soft language to deny reality.
@@tompaul2591 It has nothing to do with denying reality or using soft language. You simply don't know what you're talking about.
@@american_cosmic so who has to ultimately stop drinking? The drunk, not you. Apparently you do deny reality. I know of what I speak. I have alcoholic friends. I can't stop them. I can only control myself. They need to quit. Stop talking in circles. You repeat the same empty comment without offering any substance to the contrary.
I wish more of this interview was posted not just a minute and a half of it.
Hillman's book called "Hot Burritos - The True Story of the Flying Burrito Brothers" is a worthwhile read for FBB fans.
gosh its years since I read that book ,and this comment is pretty old, but I would have to say the sub title of that book should be 'the assassination of Gram Parsons, its Hillman's revenge and I don't like the tone of the book though in many ways its essential reading for Gram freaks
@@MrPhilfridge i wont read it bc hillman wrote it. He is a bitter angry guy when he talks about gram
@@lastnamefirst4035 ....i don't disagree , the fact he and McGuinn took 'sweetheart ' out on a 50th anniversary tour amuses me .Hillman has anger issues generally, a lot of Byrd commentators have made that point. The book referred to isn't a bad read at all , he just let Hillman mouth off too much., ignore that and there's decent info in it
@@MrPhilfridge thanks. I think i will read it afterall
Chris H. was very kind to me when I got an attack of nerves trying to interview Roger McGuinn in their dressing room, around 1980.
Just sayin’.
Whether or not someone is responsible for they're addiction. They sure as hell ARE responsible for they're recovery.
Actually heroin addiction can be classed as a disease, a psychiatrist from Newcastle University who works in criminal profiling came to asses me and my partner and when i received his results it said "Opiate dependence syndrome" so i guess you can say that is a medical condition. Plus we have been clean for 6 years.
Good job. I know this is a fairly old comment but I hope you're well!
Thanks for your comment. I hope you are having a happy and fullfilling life. It's better to be clean than mean.
If you want us to look up the word "sin", then why don't you go ahead and look up the word "disease". As a former addict, I can meet you half way in saying that a lot of people take on a defeatist attitude and ignore their role on how things came to be and what they have to do to fix it. And it all has to do with a LOT more than its being a disease. But until you've been through it, there is no way to understand how it can take over and make a person unable to understand what's really going on.
wow. never heard these comments. sad sad story all the way around.
thanks for the editing work.I have since learned propensity but I appreciate the help as I recognize my shortcomings. We all make mistakes..that is called sin also..in the pure
' biblical sense of the word which means "to fall short". You should look up the word
'gift". If it has a price attached to it then it is not a gift.
The simple fact of the matter was the autopsy proved he did not overdose on morphine. Some of the pieces to the puzzle are missing.
I heard that too. Some say he was murdered or it was some kind of satanic ritual.
Oh shut up for Christ sake!
I can see why Gretchen felt betrayed but there will never ever be any excuse for what she did.
What did she do?
Sammy Scotch probably she did the unthinkable. But at the very least she stole Emmylou collaborative album with Gram from her, took her off the credits and the cover, and refused to allow her to attend Gram’s funeral. She filed for possession of all GRAM’s assets the.day after he died and lied to the court about being a grieving widow of a happy marriage, when everyone knew he had stopped all contact with her and was filing for a divorce.
@@mattthompson9826 were Emmylou and Gram living together as a couple?
@@thomasminarchickjr.7355 No. She states they only had a deep friendship and professional relationship. He looked very happy in her presence. She has more recently acknowledged she was in love with him and was going to tell him the next time she saw him, but time tragically ran out on them.
@@thomasminarchickjr.7355 what Margaret said.
I agree with Hillman wholeheartedly that there are genetic factors at play with addictive behaviors. I saw this up close and personal in my own family for 50 long years. Of course environment can play a role and all people are different, but I've seen otherwise normal-appearing people carry on destructively for decades without hope, regardless of love and support. And in between, when they're clean, they still act like addicts. It's a terrible thing.
David Smith Gram's mother and stepfather were both alcoholics.
Addiction is not a disease. It's bad choices in the moment to feel better now, regardless of later consequences. All our of behavior has moral implications.
It's not a desease, it is simply a lack of curtailment of our human desire to seek pleasure , and escape reality! We have all lost people we love to this and calling it a desease instead of a weakness simply makes us feel better while giving licence to someone else to do what he should not because he can't help it.
Be careful how you judge, you will be Judged one day
Holly, gotta ask...is Gretchen your mom?
Interesting interview. What is this from and how old is it?
@kate54ish
Seems like you got all this info from the documentary film. I have read books on Gram.
@edzep54 I must have missed something so I reread my post......self righteousness = talking about self...sorry I don't see that in my comments = a doctor can help no one who doesn't recognize their own problem = even AA preaches recognition of your own problem ... Thanks for your comments b/c that means you have read what I have written. I am a gram parsons fan as well as chris hillman and emmylou... if YOU listen to what they said Mick Jagger told Gram......it sounds like Mick agrees with me
Still, the autopsy said he did not OD on morphine. It’s suspicious.
ImNotMad ButUR No. yes he did all those things. For years. Something hit him suddenly when he got that second injection that night and it wasn’t morphine.
@@mattthompson9826 I wonder if he felt betrayed and angry do to the fact, that after a fire/losing eveything you have, and planned divorce proceeding , his old neighbor Furay, of POCO, who touted of Grams darkness, wrote a non- complimentary song about him called "crazy eyes" and stold Grams writing of his precious mother's song brass buttons, ( beat him at putting it out on his last album, GRAM WAS KIND ENOUGH TO TEACH IT TO HIM WHEN THEY LIVED AS NEIGHBORS IN GREENWICH VILLAGE NY ) was shown the album by ducky duck ( a band that befriended him ) 4 days before he died!!!! He had had enough put downs ...GOD SAID TO RELEAVE THOSE THAT ARE OPRESSED , WE ARE TO FIGHT THE demons off them NOT THEM......Ducky Duck played POCO album /furay songs, for Gram , and they said he cried, really hard, very very sad!!! Read this from the band Ducky Duck somewhere online....I AM CALLING FOR A REPENTANCE, FROM, NOW, PASTOR FURAY ON THAT ...
As a musician most of my life, I know how it feels, and hate it when people use a mistake or problem, as some sorta gauge for, or like it's a negative reflection on your integrity or character as a person! Life as an artist is tough enough without that! We already have to spend our lives being treated as if at some point, we've given up all rights of privacy & being just a normal human! Think about how it is, not being able to do the simplest things, people take for granted. Like just going to a store for a Coke, or sitting down to eat a burger somewhere, in peace & quiet. Without having to be disguised first, and risk being bombarded by a crowd. Or asked for an autograph while taking a piss!
Choices have consequences!
And if you have been through it and you are recovering, then the best I can say is good luck and God bless you. And be careful about how militant you might get about things. From my own observations, I can say that the more radical a person's approach is to recovery, the more likely they are to relapse when they realize that the world doesn't bend to them and the harder they fall. And if they do manage to stay clean, they usually turn into hyper-cynical pricks.
I goes back to : just say no. I didn't, it took a long time, but now , I walk away, free.
Heroin so good that you don't ever wanna try it. Leave it lay.
Parsons did not die of a heroin od.
Gram died from morphine & Tequila. Accidental o.d.
Who was the one person she is referring to?
Could be the old school friend he had started dating. Unfortunately she had become a heroin addict so no-one Gram should have been hanging with if he wanted to get sober. He'd had a tough summer; the death of Clarence White, his house burned down, and his marriage ended. I doubt he was in the best mental shape but such a loss.
Typical "stars" talk about themselves exept EmyLou.
Cuz Emmylou is so frickin awesome.
yep............I corrected the word addition to addiction...............yep....drugs will do that to your spelling..........I guess you didn't listen to Mick bawling him out...............yep..i got first hand experience..........I am not sitting in judgment.............i feel for Chris and emmylou.........they shared the hurt of losing someone they loved...
Mick was on drugs too, he just had more self control.
Hillman loved gram I dont think so
Hillman always seems angry when he talks about gram and its not bc he misses him..
Hi Sammy. Why is he angry?
@@mickeyphillips6603 idk maybe bc whenever he is interviewed he is asked about gram but not about himself and chris knew gram very well (being roommates and band mates) people are in awe of gram but chris, meh...not so much. Idk. Ive really no idea why I made that comment. Chris is an outstanding musician I think more so than gram and gram was good
Sammy scotchguard Thanks for responding. That makes a lot of sense. You’re probably on to something there. Enjoy your day.
@ImNotMad ButUR Thanks for that. I never knew much about Gram. I heard about him on a music documentary, and then I started doing some research on him. Thanks again!!
Gram
Gram
gram.
@BrandonTxOthor thanks teacher for catching my spelling mistake.......yes IT IS an ADDICTION.......but it is still SIN...
I think Gram died from alcohol & morphine mix .. it's a deadly mix & people die from that mix all the time .. Hillman talks like he's so self righteous , like he's Mr perfect . All you perfect , caring people ᕙ( : ˘ ∧ ˘ : )ᕗ
Doubtful. Very doubtful. Phil Kaufman was Emmylou's tour manager for many years. My guess is she's referring to Keith Richards.
According to Keith's bio , Gram was with The Stones Spring of 72 while they were in the South of France making Exile. Nick & Anita took a dislike to Gram and when he began tapping into their personal stash Anita sent him packing and Keith was too strung out to interfere. There was no further contact with Parsons who died in over a year later.
Keith in his book does describe reuniting with Gram in 1972 or '73 in L.A. They rode motorcycles, as Gram said, "through the cracks of the city" to find a dealer. Not sure why Keith would make that up, but if true the idea that Keith abandoned Gram after 1971 is just a myth.
Not Keith or Kauffman
Keith was my first guess to, at who Emmylou was referring to , but I thought Keith was in Europe at the time of Grams death ? I could be wrong :)
According to Keith's bio , Gram was with The Stones Spring of 72 while they were in the South of France making Exile. Nick & Anita took a dislike to Gram and when he began tapping into their personal stash Anita sent him packing and Keith was too strung out to interfere. There was no further contact with Parsons who died in over a year later.
burman smith
Yes, that is how I understood it too .
Emmyou might be speaking of someone who was with him at Joshua Tree on that last fateful stay :( So sad
It was 1971 when Exile was being conceived/recorded.
Shannon Traynor Stright -- I agree with you.
@@shannondawn44 I think that person was Margaret Fisher, but I don't she should be pillared for it. Gram wouldn't have taken much persuasion unfortunately. The two others who were with Gram seem to have vanished into the ether
first you say it's not a disease, it's a "SIN"
then you call it an "addition"
Do you have any first hand experience?
Best to here from those who knew him.
Yeah, nobody is responsible for their drug habits, people who don’t use drugs and don’t associate with those who do because they’ve seen one to the left fall and then the one on the right go down are just rigid pricks...
I’m a rigid prick.
Hate me.
I get your point but it can't be easy for them either. When one knows Gram's background one has to have some empathy IMO
@BrandonTxOthor no offense taken. I am a gram parsons fan and feel the loss as well as others. if you listen to mick jaggers comments that they quoted ........he was telling Gram to get on with it......so YES even Mick believed it a choice..........
@MrBrotherLou
JESUS?? IS THAT YOU??
Get out of Denver !
I’m happy I never had a trust fund…
Keith Richards.
Could anyone claim that Keith Richards was a good influence? 🤔
Duh... hear, that is.
If He knew Jesus, Lord Jesus Christ could have saved him. John 14:6
"It was not a moral failure". Sure. It was heart failure.
Should have tried harder
I will never understand is , what is so great about mixing rock & roll music , with slow and boring country music ? Especially when Chuck Berry was already doing it . A yeah , Chuck Berry was Black . Gram wasn't doing anything new.
You don't come across as someone who is well equipped in this area , just my opinion.
Who asked you?!
fuckin chris hillman did just as many drugs as gram back in the day...
not hardly.
If you never try the drug you won't get addicted to it. Except for those born addicted because of the mother's use while pregnant. As far as GOD goes, you must first believe in GOD. If you truly believe in GOD this pertains to you. It is a sin because you are not suppose to pollute your body or alter your mind so as not to be able to make sound, moral, ethical decisions. But good news, if you believe in GOD you can be delivered from any addiction or disease.You just have to ask AND listen.
It is not a disease....it is a moral failing!! Gram lost track of who he was and his upbringing however stressed!! Fame and money does that!! So would not want to go up the mountain with Gram but if he had: he might have made it!! Mountains cleanse the soul!! And Liberate you from your burdens!!
Yes. Keep your judgement to youself as Jesus instructed you to. We all have sin supposedly with none being greater than another; so get off your high horse.
Read Ezekiel 33:8 Roman's 10: 14-15.
Or stay away from your "horse" high ...
GOD SAYS TO JUDGE WITH RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT, THAT IS SCRIPTURE, OR WE WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO DISCERN THE demons WE NEED TO RESCUE PEOPLE FROM....
Please stop calling everything a disease.
@jonpaulmoen so now you are going to tell me that Whitney Houston got the disease too........good call! Answer Man!
Do we know who this "one person" is that Emmylou is clearly blaming for sending Gram in the wrong direction?
Watch carefully the episode of Vinyl where we see the LA party from which Parsons is heading to the desert...
Could you just tell us so we don't have to add yet another show to our lives
Elvis !
According to Keith's bio , Gram was with The Stones Spring of 72 while they were in the South of France making Exile. Mick & Anita took a dislike to Gram and when he began tapping into their personal stash Anita sent him packing and Keith was too strung out to interfere. There was no further contact with Parsons who died in over a year later.
burman smith Exile was released in May of 1972 and was recorded in France in 1971 so your dates are incorrect. The Stones then headed to LA in late 1971 and finished it there. Gram was in contact with Keith until his death in 1973. Gram was with him when the Stones were completing and mixing Exile in LA in 1971 so he was in contact with him after being sent home from France for being out of control. Hard thing to do in that crowd! Keith was on a European tour in 1973 when Gram passed away
How about "addition" by subtraction...and GTFO?!!!
Talking about "drugs" without naming them is pretty meaningless.
IT IS NOT A DISEASE.............IT IS SIN...when people insist on calling it a disease they remove themselves from the responsibility of taking action against the problem. Yes some have a greater perpensity to drugs and additions but drugs can be beaten as well as any other addition. 1 Recognition 2 Repentance 3 Recovery
and no it isn't easy.
@Yeah right! Yeah right! a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still
i think parsons' was a loser and eventually would have dragged emmylou down; but she didn't seem to make good choices in her life either ; being married three times; but what a beautiful women with a undisputed fabulous voice.
deluxe05rrt I don’t think he would’ve. His problem wasn’t even that known to her. I don’t think he’s a loser in any regard. He made an impact bigger than most of us ever will and that’s all he wanted to do. He wasn’t motivated by money because he already had it. Pure soul.
@@GoatDust Agreed.
It's not a disease, thats a copout. Gram bought his own ticket to the dark a long time before Kieth and the problems of the road,
Kelly, I highly doubt that you are a medical profesionall, just a garden variety ' pseudo expert'on addiction. Your words prove that you know nothing of addiction. Gram never 'bought'anything. He was damned as a young child when the chain of events that ruined his life began. He didn't choose losing both parents before the age of 18. He didn't 'choose' his genetics. But go ahead with your bad ass self and sit in judgement of someone you never met, know nothing of personally. You and Gram both had ( have ) demons, just a different kind of demon. Your 'demon'is called 'IGNORANCE'