Iconic Corpse: GRAM PARSONS

Today we present one of THE most important entries in the North American Iconic Corpse canon– alt country messiah Gram Parsons (and his botched Joshua Tree cremation.)

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Mortician: Caitlin Doughty

***SELECTED SOURCES/ADDITIONAL READING***

How I Stole Gram Parsons’ Body

Gram Parsons: The Mysterious Death – and Aftermath

The Strange Tale of Gram Parsons’ Funeral in Joshua Tree

Why I stole my best friend's body

Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses
Lovejoy, Bess. Simon & Schuster, 2013.

Gram Parsons: Bio Of Country-Rock's Messiah And Grievous Angel

Grave Spotlight: Gram Parsons

[OmqSparklez]

If your friends wouldn't drunkenly steal your corpse from an airport, drive it into the middle of the desert and set it on fire, are they really your friends? A bittersweet but heartwarming tale.

[AbsolXGuardian]

Finally, an iconic corpse where the shenanigans happened in accordance with the wishes of the person.

[KRO-]

Honestly the fact that these guys managed to steal a body while drunk and dressed as cowboys is a supreme example of what you can get away with if you’re just super confident

[VidralliaArchives]

Like the saying goes: "A good friend will help you hide the body, a great friend will steal YOUR body and burn you in the desert."

[scarletletter]

Despite how badly they handled Gram's cremation, the fact that they were willing to go through all of the shenanigans to make his last wishes come to fruition show what a total bro move the heist was.

[michaelputnam]

"Well intentioned, but drunken and incompetent" Almost sounds like a legitimate tombstone inscription.

[tree]

The whole corpse heist sounds like the plot of an indie comedy film

[feliciaadams]

I literally clapped when Bob didn't get a claim to Gram's estate.
Sleep well Gram Parsons, your friends did their drunkenly best to observe your wishes.

[Odin]

Those guys may not have been criminal masterminds, but they were true friends.

[vimfuego]

When my daughter was growing up, she said she wanted to be either an oncologist or a Wal Mart greeter. Well, ever since she read your first book, she switched gears and is now a junior at SIU studying mortuary science and wants to emphasize green burials.

[allisonfitzmaurice]

“We should do more food videos.”
Ask a Mortician...how to cook?
_Donner party flashbacks_

[PaulMcElligott]

“Well-intentioned, but drunken and incompetent.” – Story of my life, Caitlin. Story of my life.

[cloversquid]

Similarly to this story where Parsons randomly talked about his death wishes right before he suddenly died, five years ago my boyfriend told me one day that when he died, he wanted to be cremated and have his remains mixed with soil to grow psychedelic mushrooms on and then have his friends take them. I told him if he died before me (assuming he wouldn't) I would bury him under a tree. He agreed, so three weeks later when he suddenly died, his mom helped me bury his cremains under a tree. I'm just glad his mom was around so his estranged Mormon family didn't get ahold of his remains like they wanted. I may have had to perform a Gram Theft Parsons.

[itwasagoodideaatthetime]

Considering that 2020 has been a raging Dumpster Fire from Hell having. Catlin's last video of the year be about a botched cremation has a strange kind of symbolic sense about it.

[ruiqiumai]

There’s so many stories out there about people’s wishes not being respected after their death, so I found this to be rather wholesome. Considering the lengths they went to for him, I feel a lot of respect for them.

[benny_lemon]

So, his friends burned him in the desert but he was still buried in Louisiana, but the stepfather still didn't inherit his estate?

*[task failed successfully]*

[katjonesandtheprophets]

I met Phil Kaufman in a Home Depot while I was running an errand with a friend. He was cordial and introduced himself as “The Road Mangler.” As we walked away my friend said, “That’s the guy that burned Gram Parson’s body at Joshua Tree.” My mind was blown. We’ve met several times now. He’s a trip and it’s always a pleasure to run into someone so thoroughly eccentric. He even signed and handed me a baseball card with his mugshot on it. (Totally unsolicited 😂.)

[paulmccool]

As a 25 year resident of Joshua Tree, I gotta say, this is one of the best retellings of this story I've ever heard. Well done, Caitlin.

[MortMe]

"You mean I can't steal another corpse for a year?" Lol what a dude

[rainyrayrae]

i don't know a lot about gram parsons, but from what little i do know, i feel like every single bit of this is exactly what he would have wanted. the drunkenness. the denim jackets and cowboy hats and boots. the hearse. the heist. the 40s noir talk. the bad cremation attempt. every single part.