Gram Parsons

Poor Gram Parsons. If there was one name I thought I could get inducted during my voting days at Rock Hall Revisited, it was Parsons.

The Rock Hall has yet to induct him, even though some nominating committee members want him in, the voters just yawn.

At the Revisited site I ran into some voters who just didn't think he was important enough to vote for. And he's overrated or not really much of an influence on the Country-Rock that came after him, like the Eagles. Well, duh, that's the whole point. Parsons Country-Rock adheres more to traditional Country than the Eagles and their imitators were doing. And still, what Parsons did with the Byrds and Burrito Brothers did make an impression on Poco and the Eagles. But my guess is that voters at the Revisited site and RRHOF voters don't know much about Americana music. And that's why Parsons hasn't been inducted. But if I told you that Parsons is the father of Americana or Country Alternative Rock, would that change your mind. At Revisited if went nowhere. Okay, how about the Father of Country Rock as well. Any takers?

But what hurts Parsons? His solo career was short. Just 2 albums. Kind of like the Ritchie Valens syndrome. It took him awhile to get in, and some people still think his short career isn't worthy of induction. It doesn't matter that both those albums were incredibly influential. Just too damn short for some voters. If you add his stints with the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers it's a hell of a legacy. I think you can take into account multiple groups when voting on these things. I'm guessing that Traffic got a lot of votes, not because voters loved them, as much as voters loved Steve Winwood's career. And I have no problem with that.

I wish the Hall would do what they did with Black Sabbath and the Stooges. Just keep Parsons on the ballot until he gets in.