Emmylou Harris and Elvis Costello to lead Gram Parsons tribute at the Troubadour
A Song for Gram is planned for November 11 in Los Angeles, three nights before Parsons’ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. The show will benefit two support organizations.
A Song for Gram, a tribute to country-rock musician Gram Parsons, is planned for November 11 at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, with Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello and the Black Crowes among the performers. The concert falls three nights before Parsons is scheduled to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and will benefit organizations addressing addiction and mental health needs.
Margo Price, Grace Potter, Jesse Welles, the Head and the Heart, Madison Cunningham, Jim Lauderdale and Harper Simon are also on the bill, according to Rolling Stone and Variety. Beachwood Sparks will provide what the show calls “cosmic accompaniment.” Harris was a friend and musical collaborator of Parsons; Variety reported that Costello helped introduce his songs to another generation through recordings in the early 1980s.
Why the tribute is at the Troubadour
Polly Parsons, Gram Parsons’ daughter and a co-producer of the show, told Variety that the Troubadour mattered because her father played there frequently. She said it was important to choose somewhere “legendary that resonated in the storyline of Gram.” Vector Management and Rolling Stone editor-in-chief Shirley Halperin are also co-producing the concert, Variety reported, in conjunction with the Gram Parsons Estate and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The date places the concert six days after what would have been Parsons’ 80th birthday on November 5. Rolling Stone reported that he is due to receive the Hall of Fame’s Early Influence Award at its November 14 ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Polly Parsons told the magazine earlier this year that the timing of the induction and birthday felt “mind-blowing and special.”
This is not the first large tribute Polly Parsons has organized. Variety reported that her 2004 “Return to Sin City” shows at the Universal Amphitheatre and Santa Barbara Bowl featured Keith Richards, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle and Norah Jones. She told Variety she hopes the Troubadour concert could lead to more shows, potentially at larger venues if there is sufficient support.
Ticket sale and beneficiaries
Tickets are scheduled to go on sale through AXS on October 22 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, Variety reported. The concert will benefit the Friendly House Foundation and Backline, which support people facing addiction and mental health needs in the Los Angeles area. Rolling Stone reported that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is presenting the show.
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Sources and context
- Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, the Black Crowes, and More to Play Gram Parsons Tribute ConcertRolling Stone
- Gram Parsons Tribute Concert at Troubadour to Feature Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, Black Crowes, Margo Price and MoreVariety
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.