“Twenty thousand roads and I went down, down, down, and they all led me straight back home to you.” The mournful lyrics of Gram Parsons seem to echo around his final resting place here in New Orleans. Though his connection to this city is fleeting, the story of how he ended up here is one of the most bizarre tales in rock and roll history. Gram Parsons, a pioneer of country-rock, died tragically young in 1973. He was just 26 years old. A notorious lover of Joshua Tree, Parsons had often spoken of his desire to be cremated there under the desert sky. His road manager and close friend, Phil Kaufman, remembered this pact. When Parsons’ stepfather made plans for a traditional burial in New Orleans, Kaufman took matters into his own hands. In a daring heist, fueled by grief and copious amounts of alcohol, Kaufman stole Parsons’ body from a Los Angeles airport hangar. He and a friend drove the hearse to Joshua Tree, doused the coffin in gasoline, and set it ablaze. Though his final resting place might be here in New Orleans, Parsons’ spirit truly remains in the wild beauty of Joshua Tree.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to