Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons was a pioneer of country rock. His group the “Flying Burritto Brothers” were one of the first to feature a steel guitar as part of a rock-n-roll band. The Eagles and Poco were modeled after his type of music. At one time Gram was a member of the Byrds. He went solo and recorded two albums before he died in a motel room on September 19th, 1973 at the age of 26. The coroner found traces of a variety of drugs in his body. Somewhere enroute to LA, his coffin was stolen and set ablaze under a tree.