Gram Parsons was a Rock 'n Roll boy until he heard Merle Haggard sing. Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman invited Parsons to join The Byrds after David Crosby left the band. At the time, McGuinn wanted to do an album that would provide an overview of American popular music, mixing Bluegrass, Country, Jazz, Blues and Rock with The Byrds' usual blend of Psychedelic Folk.
Parsons had other ideas. He wanted to do a straight up Country album with the grit and energy of Rock 'n Roll. McGuinn and Hillman decided to follow his lead, so the band headed to a Nashville recording studio along with a few guest musicians, such as Clarence White, country guitarist extraordinaire, and John Hartford on fiddle, banjo and mandolin.
The result was 'Sweetheart Of The Rodeo'.
At the time, no one much liked it. The Rock crowd thought Country was too cornball, and the Country crowd thought The Byrds were a bunch of dirty hippies. Today, it is considered a masterpiece, one that pioneered the Country Rock sound and later provided inspiration for what would be called Americana.
As for Gram Parsons, he left The Byrds after 'Sweetheart' was recorded. A few months later, he and Chris Hillman founded The Flying Burrito Brothers.
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