Gram Parsons (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist an pianist. A solo artist as well as a member of the International Submarine Band, The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, he is best known for a series of recordings that anticipated the so-called country rock of the 1970s and the alt-country movement that began around 1990. Parsons described his records as "Cosmic American Music". He died of a drug overdose at the age of 26. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him #87 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.