Twenty Thousand Roads : The Ballad of Gram Parsons and His Cosmic American Music

Gram Parsons lived fast, died young, and left a beautiful corpse'a corpse his friends stole, took to Joshua Tree National Monument, and set afire in its coffin. The theft and burning of his body marked the end of Gram Parsons' life and the beginning of the Gram Parsons legend. As a singer and songwriter, Gram Parsons stood at the nexus of countless musical crossroads, and he sold his soul to the devil at every one. Parson hung out with glamorous women and the coolest friends. His intimates and collaborators on his journey included Keith Richards, William Burroughs, Marianne Faithfull, Peter Fonda, Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, and Emmylou Harris. Parsons had everything'looks, charisma, money, style, the best drugs, the most heartbreaking voice'and threw it all away with both hands. His ballad is one of gigantic talent colliding with epic self-destruction. Parsons led the Byrds to create the seminal country rock masterpiece Sweetheart of the Rodeo. He formed the Flying Burrito Brothers, helped to guide the Rolling Stones beyond the blues in their appreciation of American roots music, and found his musical soul mate in Emmylou Harris. Parsons' solo albums, GP and Grievous Angel, are now recognized as visionary masterpieces of the transcendental jambalaya of rock, soul, country, gospel, and blues Parsons named "Cosmic American Music." Four months before Grievous Angel was released, Parsons died of a drug and alcohol overdose at age twenty-six. In this beautifully written, raucous, meticulously researched biography, David N. Meyer gives Parsons' mythic life its due. From Parsons' privileged Southern Gothic upbringing to his early career in Greenwich Village's folk music scene to his Sunset Strip glory days, Twenty Thousand Roads paints an unprecedented portrait of the man who linked country to rock. Parsons' creative genius gave birth to a new sound that was rooted in the past but heralded the future. From interviews with hundreds of the famous and obscure who knew and worked closely with Parsons'many who have never spoken publicly about him before'Meyer conjures a dazzling panorama of the artist and his era. Shedding new light and dispelling old myths, Twenty Thousand Roads is a breakthrough in rock-and-roll biography and more'a chronicle of creativity, drugs, excess, culture, and music in the ferment of late-1960s America. Visit the official website: www.twentythousandroads.com From the Hardcover edition.

as A Singer And Songwriter, Gram Parsons Stood At The Nexus Of Countless Musical Crossroads, And He Sold His Soul To The Devil At Every One. His Intimates And Collaborators Included Keith Richards, William Burroughs, Marianne Faithfull, Peter Fonda, Roger Mcguinn, And Clarence White. Parsons Led The Byrds To Create The Seminal Country Rock Masterpiece sweetheart Of The Rodeo, Helped To Guide The Rolling Stones Beyond The Blues In Their Appreciation Of American Roots Music, And Found His Musical Soul Mate In Emmylou Harris. Parsons’ Solo Albums, gp And grievous Angel, Are Now Recognized As Visionary Masterpieces Of The Transcendental Jambalaya Of Rock, Soul, Country, Gospel, And Blues Parsons Named “cosmic American Music.” Parsons Had Everything–looks, Charisma, Money, Style, The Best Drugs, The Most Heartbreaking Voice–and Threw It All Away With Both Hands, Dying Of A Drug And Alcohol Overdose At Age Twenty-six.

in This Beautifully Written, Raucous, Meticulously Researched Biography, David N. Meyer Gives Parsons’ Mythic Life Its Due. From Interviews With Hundreds Of The Famous And Obscure Who Knew And Worked Closely With Parsons–many Who Have Never Spoken Publicly About Him Before–meyer Conjures A Dazzling Panorama Of The Artist And His Era.

praise For Twenty Thousand Roads

named One Of The Best Books Of The Year By the Los Angeles Times

named One Of The Five Best Rock Books Of The Year By rolling Stone

“far And Away The Most Thorough Biography Of Parsons . . . Skewers Any Number Of Myths Surrounding This Endlessly Mythologized Performer.”
–los Angeles Times

“a Terrific Biography Of A Rock Innovator That Hums With Juicy Detail And Wincing Truth. . . . Page After Page Groans With The Folly Of The ’60s Drug Culture, The Tragedy Of Talent Toasted Before Its Time, The Curse Of Wealth And The Madness Of Wasted Opportunity.”
–the Atlanta Journal-constitution

“the Definitive Account Of Gram Parsons’ Life–and Early Death. From The Country-rock Pioneer’s Wealthy, Wildly Dysfunctional Family Through His Symbiotic Friendship With Keith Richards, Meyer Deftly Illuminates One Of Rock’s Most Elusive Figures.”
–rolling Stone

“meticulously Researched . . . Though Meyer Answers A Lot Of Long-burning Questions, He Preserves Parsons’ Legend As A Man Of Mystery.”
–entertainment Weekly

“meyer Gives Parsons A Thorough, Peter Guralnick-like Treatment.”
–new York Post

visit The Official Website: Www.twentythousandroads.com

publishers Weekly

gram Parsons Is Remembered As Much For Wearing Sequined Cowboy Suits On Stage And For Being Illegally Cremated In The Desert By One Of His Friends After Dying Of A Drug Overdose As He Is For The Half-dozen Albums He Played On In The Late 1960s And Early 1970s, Including The Byrds' Classic sweetheart Of The Rodeo. Meyer (a Girl And A Gun) Covers Both Aspects Of The Legend, But He Gives Particular Attention To The Way Parsons Brought Together Elements Of Country And Rock Music To Forge A New Sound. After A Leisurely Telling Of Parsons's Rich White Trash Family Drama In Florida And Georgia, Including His Father's Suicide And The Barely Contained Contempt Of His Mother's Family, The Biography Plunges Into His Musical Career, Careening From One Band To The Next Just As Parsons Himself Did. Meyer Is Appreciative But Never Adulatory Of Parsons, Who He Believes Threw His Talent Away; While Citing The Influence Of The Flying Burrito Brothers' Debut Album, For Example, He Repeatedly Mentions The Band's Unbelievably Sloppy Sound. This Isn't The First Biography Of Parsons, But Meyer's Semidetached Stance As A Critical Fan Makes It A Valuable One, In The Vein Of Peter Guralnick Or Greil Marcus. (oct. 30)

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“A terrific biography of a rock innovator that hums with juicy detail and wincing truth. . . . Page after page groans with the folly of the ’60s drug culture, the tragedy of talent toasted before its time, the curse of wealth and the madness of wasted opportunity.” —The Atlanta Journal-Constitution NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE LOS ANGELES TIMES • NAMED ONE OF THE FIVE BEST ROCK BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY ROLLING STONE As a singer and songwriter, Gram Parsons stood at the nexus of countless musical crossroads, and he sold his soul to the devil at every one. His intimates and collaborators included Keith Richards, William Burroughs, Marianne Faithfull, Peter Fonda, Roger McGuinn, and Clarence White. Parsons led the Byrds to create the seminal country rock masterpiece Sweetheart of the Rodeo , helped to guide the Rolling Stones beyond the blues in their appreciation of American roots music, and found his musical soul mate in Emmylou Harris. Parsons’ solo albums, GP and Grievous Angel , are now recognized as visionary masterpieces of the transcendental jambalaya of rock, soul, country, gospel, and blues Parsons named “Cosmic American Music.” Parsons had everything—looks, charisma, money, style, the best drugs, the most heartbreaking voice—and threw it all away with both hands, dying of a drug and alcohol overdose at age twenty-six. In this beautifully written, raucous, meticulously researched biography, David N. Meyer gives Parsons’ mythic life its due. From interviews with hundreds of the famous and obscure who knew and worked closely with Parsons–many who have never spoken publicly about him before–Meyer conjures a dazzling panorama of the artist and his era. Praise for Twenty Thousand Roads “Far and away the most thorough biography of Parsons . . . skewers any number of myths surrounding this endlessly mythologized performer.” —Los Angeles Times “The definitive account of Gram Parsons’ life–and early death. From the country-rock pioneer’s wealthy, wildly dysfunctional family through his symbiotic friendship with Keith Richards, Meyer deftly illuminates one of rock’s most elusive figures.” —Rolling Stone “Meticulously researched . . . Though Meyer answers a lot of long-burning questions, he preserves Parsons’ legend as a man of mystery.” —Entertainment Weekly “Meyer gives Parsons a thorough, Peter Guralnick-like treatment.” — New York Post Coon Dog Connor and Avis Snively Waycross December 23, 1958 Robert Parsons Winter haven Vanguards and legends The Bolles school Senior year Cambridge The international submarine band Los Angeles The Byrds Sweetheart of the rodeo The flying burrito brothers The gilded palace of sin Burrito deluxe Nellcôte GP The fallen angels "Farther along" Joshua tree The coffin The funeral. A portrait of rock music legend Gram Parsons documents his extraordinary talent for integrating country music and rock and roll, his influence on music, his turbulent and self-destructive lifestyle, and his tragic death