Gram Parsons was a major influence on countless musicians and the direction of music itself during his short life.  After meeting Chris Hillman and joining up with The Byrds, the two forged a musical alliance that resulted in the landmark recording, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, and later, as members of The Flying Burrito Brothers, continued the vision with the release of Gilded Palace of Sin and Burrito Deluxe.

  Gram went on to establish an extraordinary friendship with Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards.  The two would sit for hours on end, day in and day out, Keith absorbing from Gram the subtle nuances of traditional Southern harmony singing in the high lonesome style of The Louvin Brothers.  The Stones went on to record some of their finest music to date culminating in the decadent rock and country-tinged Exile on Main Street.

  Perhaps Gram's greatest achievement in music was his partnership with a young folk singer by the name of Emmylou Harris.  The chemistry between their voices was immediate and achingly beautiful.  At Gram's request, Emmylou flew to California and sang harmony on his solo recordings, GP and Grievous Angel. Parsons passed away on September 19, 1973 at the Joshua Tree Inn in southern California after the recording of Grievous Angel.  Emmylou Harris continues her illustrious career to this day, one of the greatest female vocalists of country music; and she credits Gram as being the most important musical influence in her life.

  Two of the first local singer/songwriters to discover Parsons' music were Dave Griffin and Billy Ray Herrin.  "Unfortunately, it was only a few months before his untimely death," states Herrin.  Over the past 33 years, Herrin has spent a good portion of that time learning everything he could about Parsons' Waycross days and sharing the information with anyone that will listen. 

  One of the first people in the world to honor Gram's memory, Herrin opened a record store in Waycross in 1974 and named it Sin City Records after one of Parsons' most recognized original songs.  In 1999, Herrin wrote the nominating letter which gained Parsons induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.  His knowledge of Parsons' early hometown days have graced the pages of several recognized books written about the legendary Waycross musical pioneer.  Most recently, he appeared in the exceptional DVD documentary "Fallen Angel", produced by Gandulf Hennig of the BBC.

  Gram Parsons Guitar Pull and Tribute is an annual event held in Waycross that has grown steadily in popularity since its humble beginnings in Griffin's backyard.  "I had the idea, back around Thanksgiving 1998, to invite a handful of local pickers over for an informal evening of jamming in the backyard," says Griffin.

  By 2001, the annual get-together was pulling quite alot of onlookers.  Griffin states, "My home has always been a welcome haven for music; but, after the '01 tribute, I woke up the next morning to find dirty footprints in my bathtub and thought maybe it's time for a change."

  2002 saw the Gram Parsons Guitar Pull step to a new level as the event moved into the public eye and featured Walter Egan and The Brooklyn Cowboys.  Since then, excellent headliners, including Lona Heins, Bernie Leadon, Kevn Kinney, Sneaky Pete and Burrito Deluxe, The Capricorn Rhythm Section with Jimmy Hall, Phil Kaufman, Jim Lauderdale, Ian Dunlop, Meridian, Leon Russell, Charlie Louvin, Randall Bramblett and Tommy Talton, Fayssoux Starling McLean, Grayson Capps, Jim White, Jay Farrar, Elizabeth Cook, and Rodney Dillard have made this one of the most spiritual, heartfelt tributes to Mr. Parsons that you'll ever attend.