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     Source: Microsoft BING AI 

"Write an essay on Emmylou Harris including her relationship with Gram Parsons" 

Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons were musical collaborators and partners in the
early 1970s. They recorded two albums together, GP and Grievous Angel, and
toured with The Flying Burrito Brothers. They were not married, but they had a
relationship. Parsons died of a drug overdose in 1973. Harris was influenced
by his music and sang about him in some of her songs.

A former member of the Byrds, Chris Hillman, saw Emmylou Harris perform with
Gerry Mule and Tom Guidera in 1971 and recommended her to Gram Parsons, whom she
met while performing in the DC music circuit. Emmylou has always spoken very
highly of her musical collaboration with Parsons. "I never had to struggle,"
Emmylou added in her Gadfly interview. "It was almost like we were dancing
partners who were able to fall into step with each other really quickly."

Emmylou Harris was an unknown singer in her early twenties when Gram Parsons saw
her perform at a folk club in Washington, D.C. in 1971. "I was knocked out by
her singing," he said later. He recruited her the following year to sing on
1973’s classic album GP and the subsequent tour, but he died unexpectedly the
same year a drug overdose. On "The Road" the kickoff track on her haunting new
album Hard Bargain, Harris addresses their relationship, singing, "I took what
you left and put it to some use." On the album, Harris also sings about
post-Katrina New Orleans, becoming a grandmother ("Goodnight Old World") and the
death of her friend Kate McGarrigle ("Darlin’ Kate").

You sang about Gram Parsons on [1975’s] "Boulder to Birmingham." What made you
want to sing about him again? How did you approach writing about him differently
this time? "Well, we’ve got about 30 years between it all. And "Boulder to
Birmingham" was written in the throes of deep grief and shock, after losing
someone that quickly and unexpectedly. So that was just a way of dealing with
it, whereas now, you’re looking back from a great distance with a great deal of
affection. It’s terrible that Gram died so young, but I’m grateful that our
paths crossed. Really, it’s a thank you to him and kind of a tip of the hat to
the universe to say 'I’m still here and I was given all these wonderful things
because of that meeting with this person.' It’s just a reflection.

He was a very natural singer, Gram. He really understood country music, but he
was a child of the Sixties, so he had one foot in the rock world and one foot in
the southern country world. But I think as a songwriter he brought his own
poetry to the lyrics. He could take a song like "Sin City," which has a very
traditional country form, and put apocalyptic lyrics to it. He sort of disguised
it. He sort of takes you aback when you actually start listening to his lyrics."

Their relationship was professional rather than personal. But although their
love for one another was of the unrequited kind, there was no less love between
Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons than there was between Johnny Cash and June
Carter.

EOF