Why isn't this man in the country hall of fame?

It defies explanation.
Gram Parsons looms large on the musical landscape, as both a creator of beautiful music and as a pioneering prophet, brave (or foolish) enough to meld country and rock.
Don't blame his exclusion on the drug overdose, either. The Country Music Hall of Fame is littered with people who drank themselves into an early grave.
I worked today, and as I drove around I blared The Byrds' "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" on the car stereo. That 1968 album bewildered critics and confused fans. It peaked at No. 77 on the charts and then sank into obscurity... except for musicians.
The Eagles, R.E.M., Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Dwight Yoakam, Garth Brooks, Montgomery Gentry and Ryan Adams are just a handful of the artists bearing the indelible mark of this album's influence.
Later, Parsons refined his loose, country-rock sound with The Flying Burrito Brothers, profoundly influencing the Rolling Stones in the process.
Then he produced a pair of stunning solo efforts -- 1973's "GP" and 1974's "Grievous Angel." By that latter release, he had already died an inglorious death.
But not before discovering Emmylou Harris. If nothing else, Parsons deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame for rescuing Harris from the obscure life of a Washington, D.C.-area folk singer.

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