Gram Parsons (November 5, 1946 - September 19, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist born Ingram Cecil Connor, III. A solo artist as well as a member of both The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, he is best known for a series of recordings which anticipate 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.