Grievous Angel: The Legend of Gram Parsons is a theatrical concert about the original cosmic cowboy, who lived fast, died young and left a charred corpse. The creative force behind some of the most important recordings of the late '60s and early '70s, Parsons pioneered country rock with The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo, schooled the Rolling Stones in American roots music, created The Flying Burrito Brothers and recorded two classic solo albums, GP and Grievous Angel, with his musical protégé, Emmylou Harris.
He never had a hit record and never became a star in his lifetime, but Parsons is today hailed as a patron saint of alt-country and Americana. His influence is acknowledged by artists as disparate as Keith Richards, Elvis Costello, Steve Earle, Norah Jones, Beck, Tom Petty, Ryan Adams, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, Dwight Yoakam, REM and the Black Crowes. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him #87 on their list of the 100 Most Influential Artists of All Time. Gram has been the subject of five biographies, four tribute albums and a documentary film, Fallen Angel.
Parsons was born into a southern gothic tragedy straight out of Tennessee Williams' his family owned 18,000 acres of Florida orange groves, and they had all the infidelity, addiction, self-destruction and insanity money could buy. His father, 'Coon Dog' Connor, committed suicide when Gram was 12 years old. His mother drank herself to death five years later. Gram's stepfather, Bob Parsons, had his younger sister, Avis, committed to a mental institution. She was later killed in a boat crash. Bob died of cirrhosis of the liver.
As for Gram, his extraordinary talent, great looks, charisma and heartbreaking voice ultimately took a back seat to a morbid compulsion to go out, like his hero, Hank Williams, in a haze of glory. On Sept. 19, 1973, in a cheap motel on the edge of the Mojave Desert. Parsons OD'd on morphine and tequila. He was 26. But in death, his tale took another bizarre turn when his road manager, Phil Kaufman, stole his body from Los Angeles airport, took it to the desert and burned it. A rock legend was born.
Grievous Angel: The Legend of Gram Parsons, stars Anders Drerup and Kelly Prescott as Gram and Emmylou Harris. Featured musicians include Al Bragg, Chris Breitner, Pat McLaughlin and Tom Martel, with music by Gram Parsons, the Rolling Stones, Hank Williams, the Louvin Brothers, Chris Hillman, Chris Ethridge, Merle Haggard, Bob Dylan, Dan Penn, Elvis Presley, Ric Grech, Boudleaux-Bryant and Bob Buchanan.
Grievous Angel: The Legend of Gram Parsons was inspired by Michael Bate's March 1973 interview with the doomed singer in Boston. It was Parsons' last recorded conversation. The theatrical concert is produced and directed by Michael Bate, written by Michael Bate with David McDonald.
Giving wing to a fallen angel... (The Globe and Mail)
Gram Parsons: the legend continues... (thestar.com)
Ottawa Citizen and Ottawa Sun
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Grievous Angel on CBC Radio, Nov. 6, 2009
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"With Grievous Angel we [felt like] we were watching Gram Parsons, and even knowing his sad story, we weren't expecting the tears. We will see it again. We play the CD every day."
--Gerry and Kit Belisle, Barry’s Bay, ON
"Just spectacular. You know - the bar setting of the Black Sheep really works. A bit more intimate, helps connect Anders' story-telling with the audience. He's confiding a lot of stuff most people would never share beyond close friends, so the crowd feels the tension of the narrative and the great release of the songs. Emmylou just amplifies the effect. Great stuff."
--Scott Gibson, Ottawa.