He made this mirror inspired by Lord of the Rings
Tuesday, December 09, 2025
Merle Haggard at Powderhorn Park, July 1978
In honor of Merle Haggard's 88th birthday today- here are a few pictures from July 1978 when he did a two day show in Langley, Ok at Powderhorn Park. My mom was a huge Haggard fan. Me, my sister, mom and my 2 kids went to see the show. We booked a room in Pryor at the Best Western and when we got there Merle and the Strangers were staying there too! We had the pleasure of meeting him and getting to visit with him before and after the show. He was a super nice guy!
That's me with Merle in the bottom right picture. He was telling his security guys to get us a good place to set up our lawn chairs for the show. Everytime after this when we went to one of his shows we always got to get on his bus and visit a bit. He always remembered who we were!
Anyone else go to this show? Is Powderhorn Park still there?
Thursday, December 04, 2025
Gram Parsons
Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973), known professionally as Gram Parsons.
Parsons is best known for his work with the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers. He also popularized what he called "Cosmic American Music", a hybrid of country, rhythm and blues, soul, folk, and rock. He recorded as a solo artist and with the International Submarine Band, the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Parsons joined The Byrds in early 1968 and played a pivotal role in the making of the seminal Sweetheart of the Rodeo album. After leaving the group in late 1968, Parsons and fellow Byrd Chris Hillman formed The Flying Burrito Brothers in 1969, releasing their debut, The Gilded Palace of Sin, the same year. The album was well received but failed commercially. After a sloppy cross-country tour, they hastily recorded Burrito Deluxe. Parsons was fired from the band before its release in early 1970. His next solo albums met with little success. Parsons died from a reported alcohol and drug overdose on September 19,1973, he was 26 years old. After his death his body was to be flown to Louisiana for burial. However, his body was intercepted at the airport by friends Phil Kaufman and Michael Martin. After stealing his body they drove to The Joshua Tree Desert and poured gasoline inside the coffin to set the fire. Parsons had stated to friends that he wanted to be cremated at Joshua Tree Desert instead of being buried in the ground. His remains were finally interred in New Orleans. Kaufman and Martin were arrested and fined $700.00 for stealing and burning the coffin as it was not against the law to steal a deceased body. Parsons is interred at Garden Of Memories Memorial Park in Metairie, Louisiana
Saturday, November 29, 2025
Too late for tears, Spade
Country musician Spade Cooley wipes a tear away after hearing his daughter testify at the coroner's inquest into the death of Cooley's wife Ella Mae, April 13, 1961, in Bakersfield. Cooley would be convicted later in 1961 and sentenced to life in prison. On August 5, 1968, the California State Adult Authority voted unanimously to parole him on February 22, 1970. Cooley had served nearly nine years of a life sentence and was in poor health from heart trouble. On November 23, 1969, he received a 72-hour furlough from the prison hospital unit at Vacaville to play a benefit concert for the Deputy Sheriffs Association of Alameda County at the Oakland Auditorium (now known as the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center) in Oakland. During the intermission, after a standing ovation, Cooley suffered a fatal heart attack backstage.
