Iconic Corpse: GRAM PARSONS
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3 жыл бұрынFor your free trial of The Great Courses Plus go to: ow.ly/jnVr30rnpSf
Today we present one of THE most important entries in the North American Iconic Corpse canon- alt country messiah Gram Parsons (and his botched Joshua Tree cremation.)
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**CREDITS**
Mortician: Caitlin Doughty
Producer & Writer: Louise Hung (@LouiseHung1)
Editor & Graphics: Landis Blair (@landisblair)
**SELECTED SOURCES/ADDITIONAL READING**
How I Stole Gram Parsons’ Body
www.loudersound.com/features/...
Gram Parsons: The Mysterious Death - and Aftermath
www.rollingstone.com/music/mu...
The Strange Tale of Gram Parsons’ Funeral in Joshua Tree
www.desertusa.com/dusablog/th...
Why I stole my best friend's body
www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...
Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses
Lovejoy, Bess. Simon & Schuster, 2013.
Gram Parsons: Bio Of Country-Rock's Messiah And Grievous Angel
groovyhistory.com/gram-parsons
Grave Spotlight: Gram Parsons
www.cemeteryguide.com/gotw-par...
@scarletletter4900 3 жыл бұрын
Despite how badly they handled Gram's cremation, the fact that they were willing to go through all of the shenanigans to make his last wishes come to fruition show what a total bro move the heist was.
@hedleybutler9706 3 жыл бұрын
They were his ride or dies... literally
@Vale-fd4pk 3 жыл бұрын
I want this as a roleplay game for my funeral 🤣❤
@ladymopar2024 3 жыл бұрын
I know it's kind of weird to say that it's a heartwarming movie and story
@roecocoa 3 жыл бұрын
@@hedleybutler9706 His die-then-rides.
@ericf7063 3 жыл бұрын
More like that's what happens when the liquor's making the decisions. People do some weird shi* when they're effed up.
@AbsolXGuardian 3 жыл бұрын
Finally, an iconic corpse where the shenanigans happened in accordance with the wishes of the person.
@sonorasgirl 3 жыл бұрын
It sounds like his last wishes manifested even better than he would’ve hoped for lol
@StarrE1 3 жыл бұрын
Indeed, shenanigans and some malarkey. A good death. 😉😊
@MrJest2 3 жыл бұрын
...more or less... ;-)
@mdhenders07 3 жыл бұрын
I loved how I clicked on your newest video and was like wtf is going on....and then put the pieces together at the beginning of said video and out loud yelled " this Is about those one guys that burnt up a a corpse in the Dessert near Joshua tree kind of stuff .
@mfitzburger5137 3 жыл бұрын
*shivers in Elena Hoyos*
@VidralliaArchives 3 жыл бұрын
Like the saying goes: "A good friend will help you hide the body, a great friend will steal YOUR body and burn you in the desert."
@CatholicZola 3 жыл бұрын
My favorite adage
@ananyaneralla5382 2 жыл бұрын
I have it written down at my desk and always read it before I start my day!!
@ObiWanFan30 2 жыл бұрын
Yes!!!!
@stereophonicsmom Жыл бұрын
Yes 😂
@cloversquid 3 жыл бұрын
Similarly to this story where Parsons randomly talked about his death wishes right before he suddenly died, five years ago my boyfriend told me one day that when he died, he wanted to be cremated and have his remains mixed with soil to grow psychedelic mushrooms on and then have his friends take them. I told him if he died before me (assuming he wouldn't) I would bury him under a tree. He agreed, so three weeks later when he suddenly died, his mom helped me bury his cremains under a tree. I'm just glad his mom was around so his estranged Mormon family didn't get ahold of his remains like they wanted. I may have had to perform a Gram Theft Parsons.
@whisperingsage 3 жыл бұрын
My pastor/ husband told me, and several members, one of whom was a mortician in training, that he wanted to be filled with candy and made into a pinata. That got a good laugh.
@Corbeaux08 3 жыл бұрын
“Gram Theft Parsons” needs to be immortalized
@Ass_of_Amalek 3 жыл бұрын
human-ashes-grown mushrooms would make for a hell of a bad trip for me. tryptamines are hard on me anyways. also you don't typically grow shrooms in soil, you grow them on sterilized grains or vermiculite-flour mixtures. other mushrooms are commonly grown on straw or a mix of straw and composted dung (that's the brown bits on farmed button mushrooms and the like ^^). ashes make more sense as plant fertilizer, because some of the water soluble salts are useful to plants. what kind of tree did you choose?
@violetskies14 3 жыл бұрын
I've always wanted to be a tree! I've told all my family included my mum (I'm chronically ill and quite possibly could die before her) and younger sister who have both promised to do it. I'm sorry for your loss but it's awesome you did that for him.
@sarag1158 3 жыл бұрын
I love The Byrds. This is a great story!!
@OmqSparklez 3 жыл бұрын
If your friends wouldn't drunkenly steal your corpse from an airport, drive it into the middle of the desert and set it on fire, are they really your friends? A bittersweet but heartwarming tale.
@Liz_ArdE 3 жыл бұрын
A whole-body warming really
@lechatbotte. 3 жыл бұрын
Weekend at bernies lol
@LD-tk7qf 3 жыл бұрын
Only a true friend would do that for you 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
@jilliank6379 3 жыл бұрын
Jokes aside, this is a honestly a very heartwarming tale about the power of friendship and loyalty.
@auntvivienne8669 3 жыл бұрын
Talk about ride-or-die
@michaelputnam2532 3 жыл бұрын
"Well intentioned, but drunken and incompetent" Almost sounds like a legitimate tombstone inscription.
@gerrye114 3 жыл бұрын
Guys... I changed my mind about my last wishes
@MinatheRaichu 3 жыл бұрын
Or me
@SnakeandBake1 3 жыл бұрын
I want that written on my tombstone
@ragdollrose2687 3 жыл бұрын
I know some people like that...
@charlesborden8111 3 жыл бұрын
Death by misadventure, followed by a funeral by misadventure; works for me! By the way, I think my Will, will now include the phrase, "Fifty gallons of gasoline and a flamethrower for funerary purposes" somewhere in it. LOL
@benny_lemon5123 3 жыл бұрын
So, his friends burned him in the desert but he was still buried in Louisiana, but the stepfather still didn't inherit his estate? *[task failed successfully]*
@Lukkaboc 3 жыл бұрын
This brings up a question, how much of a body has to be interred for it to count as "buried in Louisiana"?
@chippychin 3 жыл бұрын
@@Lukkaboc Good question.
@Hessed3712 2 жыл бұрын
😁
@vdavis4785 2 жыл бұрын
Step-dad's legal position seems implausible to me. Gram was still married in CA, a community property state. Gram's estate goes to his widow, especially since it appears he died intestate (without a will). There may have been some issue related to his family's trust, but that would have been governed by Florida law. I would love it if someone knowledgeable of Louisiana law could clarify this. Louisiana is in its own little legal world, although the description "Napoleonic Code" is inaccurate, since the Code was issued in 1804, and Louisiana had already become part of the U.S. by then. I do understand that Stepdad was operating under his view of the law; I'm just wondering if there was any basis for it.
@cam4636 2 жыл бұрын
@@Lukkaboc ...This feels like an excellent starting-point for a dark comedy set around a wacky old rich southern family
@feliciaadams7666 3 жыл бұрын
I literally clapped when Bob didn't get a claim to Gram's estate. Sleep well Gram Parsons, your friends did their drunkenly best to observe your wishes.
@1978garfield Жыл бұрын
Bob wouldn't have had long to spend it. He died 2 years later. Cirrhosis.
@KRO-222 3 жыл бұрын
Honestly the fact that these guys managed to steal a body while drunk and dressed as cowboys is a supreme example of what you can get away with if you’re just super confident
@crystalwolcott4744 3 жыл бұрын
And a white man
@sunshine3914 3 жыл бұрын
Not is easy nowadays. But yes, before we were able to confirm things in real time... the sky was the limit. Sorry, kiddos!
@waliyahw1 3 жыл бұрын
@@crystalwolcott4744 exactly
@betheniek5 3 жыл бұрын
@@crystalwolcott4744 poc cry over everything
@arayagarner2291 3 жыл бұрын
@@betheniek5 Your the on crying about racism being call out etheir ignorance or racism because African Americans were and still are targeted by police
@Odin029 3 жыл бұрын
Those guys may not have been criminal masterminds, but they were true friends.
@lesser8700 3 жыл бұрын
Imagine having a friend so good they'll steal your own corpse for you :(
@feliz5919 3 жыл бұрын
@@lesser8700 I-
@part-timeloser1662 3 жыл бұрын
I think it was pretty sweet
@rivercometman1845 2 жыл бұрын
But were they really? history is often rewritten by murderers...
@cam4636 2 жыл бұрын
@@rivercometman1845 ...Are you implying they really _were_ criminal masterminds, or that two people who weren't even in the room with the overdosing drug user secretly murdered him and then wrote a story linking them to stealing his corpse
@PaulMcElligott 3 жыл бұрын
“Well-intentioned, but drunken and incompetent.” - Story of my life, Caitlin. Story of my life.
@tagferret6898 Жыл бұрын
I think this needs to be a T-shirt! Cafe press, here I come...
@maddycheeze Жыл бұрын
This is my epitaph
@ripvanwinkle2002 10 ай бұрын
ill take freinds like you over the competent poor-intentioned ones EVERY DAMN TIME
@rainyrayrae 3 жыл бұрын
i don't know a lot about gram parsons, but from what little i do know, i feel like every single bit of this is exactly what he would have wanted. the drunkenness. the denim jackets and cowboy hats and boots. the hearse. the heist. the 40s noir talk. the bad cremation attempt. every single part.
@leviathanesque 3 жыл бұрын
im a huge gram parsons fan and from what i know, he would have absolutely loved it.
@vimfuego1 3 жыл бұрын
When my daughter was growing up, she said she wanted to be either an oncologist or a Wal Mart greeter. Well, ever since she read your first book, she switched gears and is now a junior at SIU studying mortuary science and wants to emphasize green burials.
@xxXitakegabbiesXxx 3 жыл бұрын
Hey congratulations to her! That's awesome! Caitlin has also inspired my career change.
@davidhanson4909 3 жыл бұрын
Well, since most Wal-Mart greeters are retirees, she could have actually been both.
@maryjaneme2675 3 жыл бұрын
That's great! Good for her!
@V.Hansen. 3 жыл бұрын
Yay
@Megratron86 3 жыл бұрын
Yay 🙌 congrats! What an awesome career
@tree8265 3 жыл бұрын
The whole corpse heist sounds like the plot of an indie comedy film
@MrTheBaron 3 жыл бұрын
Grand Theft Parsons?
@LuiWallentinGttler 3 жыл бұрын
Gram's Weekend at Joshua Tree
@koopakiid16 3 жыл бұрын
I see A24 written all over this
@CatBarefield 3 жыл бұрын
Id watch the shit out of it if it was written, directed, and starring Caitlyn Doughty
@loisreese2692 3 жыл бұрын
@tree Jay and Silent Bob Steal a Corpse
@geneard639 3 жыл бұрын
This, is quite possibly THE MOST 1970's STORY EVER!
@geneard639 3 жыл бұрын
.....and, I love lichen. Especially lichen in bloom. Lichen in bloom is beautiful.
@majuuorthrus3340 2 жыл бұрын
It's definitely up there. Everything I learn about the 1970s suggests the decade itself was on some very interesting substances.
@gilgameshofuruk4060 Жыл бұрын
@@majuuorthrus3340 The first office I worked in (1985) still had nauseating 70s psychedelic stretch nylon seat covers. There were even little covers for the arms of the chairs.
@msAtweet 3 жыл бұрын
Phil Kaufman also said they almost took the wrong casket at the airport but they double checked the name. It was a little old lady.
@paulmccool378 3 жыл бұрын
As a 25 year resident of Joshua Tree, I gotta say, this is one of the best retellings of this story I've ever heard. Well done, Caitlin.
@thomasinajefferson9971 3 жыл бұрын
You familiar with Rancho de la Luna? ☺️
@deltaboy767 3 жыл бұрын
@@thomasinajefferson9971 Place I grew up and know. Before I made the mistake and moved to Pasadena California.
@lionelnietzsche3917 3 жыл бұрын
Have you seen the movie?
@deltaboy767 3 жыл бұрын
@@lionelnietzsche3917 yes i have
@jimfillingim1523 3 жыл бұрын
ENTERTAINING TO THE MAX as well as INTELLECTUALLY STIMULATING to say the least. 4 STARS CAITLIN BABY DOLL !!!!
@katjonesandtheprophets 3 жыл бұрын
I met Phil Kaufman in a Home Depot while I was running an errand with a friend. He was cordial and introduced himself as “The Road Mangler.” As we walked away my friend said, “That’s the guy that burned Gram Parson’s body at Joshua Tree.” My mind was blown. We’ve met several times now. He’s a trip and it’s always a pleasure to run into someone so thoroughly eccentric. He even signed and handed me a baseball card with his mugshot on it. (Totally unsolicited 😂.)
@cravinbob 3 жыл бұрын
I have one of those cards. It features his "team" which would have been Terminal Island Federal Correctional Institution. The photo is Phil's mugshot. Charles Manson was a cell mate of Phils. Phil sent me the card in his book "The Road Mangler" which he was selling for 5 cents and $19.95 shipping... Get the book. Phil also worked for the Stones and Zappa. Gram was his low point.
@katjonesandtheprophets 3 жыл бұрын
@@cravinbob A touring friend left the book at my house shortly after we met. I think Phil signed that as well. :-)
@quester09 3 жыл бұрын
he did what he had to do. respect.
@part-timeloser1662 3 жыл бұрын
@@katjonesandtheprophets im a fan of phil now
@lenora7560 3 жыл бұрын
Dude that's a fucking trip.
@sarahamira5732 2 жыл бұрын
These men all exhibit true himbo energy. Head empty but heart of gold
@kaylagonzalez3465 3 жыл бұрын
Crazy how many lives could've been saved by such a simple drug as Narcan back then... so thankful for its availability today. Truly a lifesaver.
@frankwerner6355 2 жыл бұрын
Not to mention ice cubes
@hobbyhermit66 2 жыл бұрын
Not so sure. Seems to me it only prolongs the agony. Maybe not the drug user's agony, but certainly the family that has to watch them fall.
@failedartguy 2 жыл бұрын
@@hobbyhermit66 statistically it saves lives and gives the user a chance to seek help, so say what you will but it does save and give the chance to improve lives.
@franditri7185 2 жыл бұрын
Narcan was not around in the early 70’s
@failedartguy 2 жыл бұрын
@@franditri7185 i think that's the point of the comment, it wasn't around then but it is now.
@ruiqiumai323 3 жыл бұрын
There’s so many stories out there about people’s wishes not being respected after their death, so I found this to be rather wholesome. Considering the lengths they went to for him, I feel a lot of respect for them.
@myabrava6323 3 жыл бұрын
This is the most American thing I've ever seen and somehow it's wholesome
@henryjames8654 3 жыл бұрын
Some decent people, attempting to help their friend in a decidedly inebriated state. Thought seemed to have been on holiday at the time.
@leticiavn 3 жыл бұрын
American *and* wholesome? Wow
@lionelnietzsche3917 3 жыл бұрын
@@leticiavn ....because a country of 330 million people can't _possibly_ have any potential for wholesomeness. It's just 100% terrible. Absolutely every single thing about America is negative. There are zero redeeming qualities. It's the worst thing in the history of the universe.
@stellabelikiewicz1523 2 жыл бұрын
Every once in a while those two concepts do manage to coincide 🥰 (I wish it happened more often!)
@theloverlyladylo9158 3 жыл бұрын
"hatched one of the most bonkers corpse heists in modern history" ... as opposed to the normal ones?!?!?!?!!?!???!!??
@cam4636 2 жыл бұрын
We don't get Iconic Corpse episodes about normal corpse heists
@zhisu2665 2 жыл бұрын
I don't know Gram but he definitely looks like the type of person to be watching over his friends planning and doing the heist and just be pissing himself laughing in approval.
@TheCelticTrio 4 ай бұрын
Yes, with a toast of “you did good guys”
@allisonfitzmaurice6948 3 жыл бұрын
“We should do more food videos.” Ask a Mortician...how to cook? _Donner party flashbacks_
@emilyadams3228 3 жыл бұрын
A Donner joke? Sorry, you don't get a pass. tee hee
@MrsTrohman666 3 жыл бұрын
Donner kebabs?!
@destinyangelmason9831 3 жыл бұрын
This made me chuckle 😆😆😆
@DrachenGothik666 Ай бұрын
@@emilyadams3228 **Groannnn...** LOL🤣😂
@joyjoyz778 3 жыл бұрын
All the side comments like "he was married but that's a whole other story " " by the way they almost got arrested on their way back" "while gene hackman was filming a movie at his house" I need a netflix series of this man and his friends life. I would binge watch it.
@Theirtherethere. 3 жыл бұрын
I think there is a movie that is based on this with Johnny knoxville I think
@sophiew1967 3 жыл бұрын
Absolutely ,me too especially if they recreated some tripping scenes & conveyed the psychedelic experience well !;)..Oh and had someone convincing to play John Lennon ( preferably a Scouser;)
@faizalf119 3 жыл бұрын
I like to imagine gene hackman half drunk just yelling "can I still use your house?" And Jeff while he's dragged away in cuffs yelled "yeah, just don't forget to turn off the light and feed the gators!"
@laurelanderson6782 3 жыл бұрын
Keith Richards was concerned about Gram’s drug and booze habits. Allow that to sink in for a minute... when you are going so hard that you are freaking out KEEF M’Fing RICHARDS...
@jebedmondson6428 3 жыл бұрын
Check out the podcast “set it straight with midland” they interviewed the guy that stole the body, he also shows up a few times on the mike Judge show tales from the tour bus
@brailleadventures 3 жыл бұрын
A video about Louis Braille would be a perfect addition to the Iconic Corpse series! He was a French teenager who invented braille, the tactile reading and writing system for the blind. He went blind at age 5 after accidentally stabbing himself in the eye with an awl. Louis's body is in the Pantheon in Paris, but his hands are buried in his hometown of Coupvrey! His hometown adores him and they didn't want to give up all of his body!
@poisonmantis4191 2 жыл бұрын
he did WHAT
@cam4636 2 жыл бұрын
@@poisonmantis4191 Invented Braille. Jeez, don't you read?
@isntitabeautifulday1648 2 жыл бұрын
Totally true story, but as someone who went to middle school in that very town, it is spelled Coupvray. And of course the school's name was "Louis Braille", of course.
@Daisy30y03 2 жыл бұрын
@@cam4636 I think the WHAT was for how he got blind, dude, which is a bit shocking
@drewgehringer7813 2 жыл бұрын
@@poisonmantis4191 3 year old Louis was playing with his father's leatherworking tools, and when trying to punch a hole in leather while looking up close his hand slipped.
@xxElyonxx 3 жыл бұрын
"the gram parsons memorial minifridge" would be a fantastic bandname
@annieinwonderland 3 жыл бұрын
We need to go back through the comments as there is several.
@notNajimi 3 жыл бұрын
Laying my claim on that one now.
@noesunyoutuber7680 3 жыл бұрын
First album - "Well-Intentioned, but Drunken and Incompetent"
@gilgameshofuruk4060 Жыл бұрын
@@noesunyoutuber7680 1st track - "Botched Desert Cremation".
@DrachenGothik666 Ай бұрын
That name _totally_ suits the florid band-names of the 70's. Well done!
@heykayrenee_ 3 жыл бұрын
I hope this doesn’t sound weird, but this story would be a fantastic movie. I can’t believe I’ve never heard about this!
@jessicaroberts8090 3 жыл бұрын
It is a movie, grand theft Parsons
@leevahal900 3 жыл бұрын
There is a movie about him and Johnny Knoxville stars as the guy who snags the body and tries to burn it in the desert.Its on utube somewhere.Im serious no joke.
@Archiduchess3 3 жыл бұрын
written and directed by Ethan and Joel Coen
@rosebudd6317 3 жыл бұрын
Wow thought most ppl that listened to his music knew this they made sure the last wish was fulfilled absolutely true.
@rolandotokes8531 3 жыл бұрын
It would make a great stoner movie to be exact
@queenfrostine97 3 жыл бұрын
The Kacey Musgraves lyric “slept in a room with the ghost of Gram Parsons” makes a lot more sense now
@Countrydiva524 3 жыл бұрын
I feel like if he was alive they'd make some great songs together.
@equipow 3 жыл бұрын
And the reference to dying like a prince in Joshua Tree in this Shilpa Ray song. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pLZnksV_y7uuj5c.html
@interplanetaryalyssaa 3 жыл бұрын
She's cool
@Samb-mi2xk 2 жыл бұрын
Honestly the fact that they totally snatched his body because he mentioned he wanted a certain type of ceremony for his death is kinda heart warming. Like they were idiots but in the best way possible and with the best intentions.
@citizenshane8932 3 жыл бұрын
Now that’s a friend. I don’t care what anyone says, his buddy went through extreme measures to make sure that his friend’s last wishes were honored. 🤟
@MortMe0430 3 жыл бұрын
"You mean I can't steal another corpse for a year?" Lol what a dude
@honeyfreud8352 3 жыл бұрын
I really liked the final segment where you read that ''hotel diary''. It underlines that even though he is an iconic corpse he was also a real and talented person who affected and continues to affect the lives of others. It even made me tear up a little ngl
@victoriashevlin8587 3 жыл бұрын
True. Gives me some hope though. Long as we keep him alive through his music and videos like this, he wont get his second death.
@margaretross9150 3 жыл бұрын
@@victoriashevlin8587 I found him just recently. His music makes every day better.
@KaylinKatastrophic 3 жыл бұрын
Regardless of how bad it ended up being, Phil is an A+ friend.
@cam4636 2 жыл бұрын
What if...the REAL drunken corpse heist...was the friends we made along the way
@apancher 3 жыл бұрын
"Well intentioned, but drunken and incompetent," is such a beautiful line. Love these videos!
@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980 3 жыл бұрын
Considering that 2020 has been a raging Dumpster Fire from Hell having. Catlin's last video of the year be about a botched cremation has a strange kind of symbolic sense about it.
@Mchenrjld 3 жыл бұрын
In fairness, the cremation seemed like a good idea at the time. :)
@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980 3 жыл бұрын
@@Mchenrjld ROTFLMAO! 🤣 Well Played Sir/Madame. Well Play Indeed! 👏🙌👍
@DanBowkley 3 жыл бұрын
I think we're going to have to start using "casket fire" to describe a REALLY F-ed up situation..
@maryclairekalamafoni9524 3 жыл бұрын
Yeah, 2020. You know my father, daughter and both of my dogs died between May and July. And people complain about having to stay in or wear masks. Just look at your loved ones and upgrade the way you treat them. Doesn't require contemplation, only action.
@jamieisnotokay3298 3 жыл бұрын
Your username is so perfect-
@avivagodfrey 3 жыл бұрын
"Good intentions, just... drunken and incompetent." If that isn't the perfect statement for 2020...
@nyotauhura7412 3 жыл бұрын
I honestly think 2020 is the result of bad intentions.
@DavidSmith-ss1cg 3 жыл бұрын
@@nyotauhura7412 - If we can agree to disagree, l suspect that they were incompetent AND had bad intentions. The stupidity is a bonus. Fortune passes everywhere.
@vomitfountain 3 жыл бұрын
I'd wear that on a shirt, lol
@DrachenGothik666 Ай бұрын
@@nyotauhura7412 The Pandemic is the result of misadventure, not deliberate evil, you lunatic.
@claire2088 Жыл бұрын
his passing that early is tragic- but the way his friends came through for him is beautiful- this is the most wholesome drunk corpse heist and diy body burning story
@LoJo 2 жыл бұрын
I vaguely recall reading an interview with Kaufman years later. I think he said that for years, the family tried really hard to keep Parson's gravesite a secret from Kaufman, but he eventually found out and joked about "maybe trying again."
@Lovely2291 3 жыл бұрын
You know those are the realest friends Parsons ever had, that they went thru so much shit just to fulfill his last wishes.
@graycloud057 3 жыл бұрын
Fuk an A right. 👍🏼👍🏼
@phoenixbillion1842 3 жыл бұрын
If you are ever in a situation where someone passes out, and you think they are just drunk, CALL AN AMBULANCE. You do not know what they took, even if you think you do, and people sometimes die of alcohol poisoning alone. Better to have a mad friend than a dead friend, and if the friend doesn't want people calling ambulances for them, they shouldn't be getting dangerously drunk in the first place, and you just do not know what's going on. They might have been unknowingly drugged - it happens a lot more than people think it does.
@cravinbob 3 жыл бұрын
Heroin death is rare and what is usually not mentioned is that alcohol use while using heroin is the deadly combination. Morphine you know is what heroin is made from. The alcohol is the killer. Thank you. source reference Dr. Carl Hart professor of neuroscience and psychology at Columbia University.
@phoenixbillion1842 3 жыл бұрын
@@cravinbob Much of what is sold as heroin is fentanyl, which is deadly af. There were 81,000 overdose deaths from May 2019-May 2020, and COVID is probably making things worse. Drugs used as date rape drugs can also interact with alcohol and potentially be fatal. I oppose the war on drugs, but I oppose irresponsible drug use at least as much as I oppose the war on drugs. I'm not talking about this because I haven't lost anyone to drugs and alcohol. Most middle-aged Americans have lost at least one person as the result of substance abuse. I think we should get better at preventing one another from dying.
@margaretross9150 3 жыл бұрын
Excellent advice.
@trapdoorguppi 3 жыл бұрын
@@cravinbob bullshit. Heroin may not be around any more its all fentanyl an shit but ive had to revived 4 fucking random people in surrey bc. So before spouting off stupid shit like that maybe do your research. 2 kids i knew growing up fucking died from heroin an booze. Both depressants.
@zarasbazaar 3 жыл бұрын
Unfortunately they were probably just as hopped up on alcohol and drugs to make logical decisions.
@elizabethkeen7851 3 жыл бұрын
Gram was totally watching over them to make sure they wouldn’t get arrested while helping him out😂They got away with so much shit.
@GoldenOwlEvents 3 жыл бұрын
Looking forward to Caitlyn Doughty being recognised as an American Treasure. Are there education awards or something she can be nominated for?
@vdavis4785 3 жыл бұрын
Perhaps a MacArthur Genius Grant?
@krtierney 2 жыл бұрын
THIS!!!! WE need ANSWERS before we DIE 🗣💯
@ashleypepper7428 Жыл бұрын
Nominate her for EVERYTHING, DAMMIT!!! She deserves all the awards
@infinihedron 3 жыл бұрын
I listened to this the morning after a friend of mine died from leukemia. She was a huge fan of Gram Parsons and would have loved that this video was posted the morning after she passed.
@amytyrrell2783 3 жыл бұрын
❤️
@dusknightwings7821 3 жыл бұрын
R.I.P.
@ThePhantomSafetyPin 3 жыл бұрын
I'm sorry for your loss. One of my best friends is in the hospital right now, with a brain injury. Not the same caliber, but I do understand the pain of watching a friend become ill, and being able to do nothing to stop it.
@chloeskinner9436 3 жыл бұрын
Sorry for your loss x
@ladyraven3418 3 жыл бұрын
My sincerest condolences. She sounds like she was a cool person.
@ivyvine496 3 жыл бұрын
Some start the day with Folgers, but I start mine with a new Iconic Corpse video
@AskAMortician 3 жыл бұрын
The best part of waking up!
@RealBradMiller 3 жыл бұрын
@@AskAMortician ...Corpse juices in your cup! *does eighties sitcom intro turn, wink and smile*
@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980 3 жыл бұрын
@@AskAMortician Considering that 2020 has been a raging Dumpster Fire from Hell having. Your last video of the year be about a botched cremation has a strange kind of symbolic sense about it.
@DanielleSnyder 3 жыл бұрын
Coffee and this video for me. Name a better combo?
@Margar02 3 жыл бұрын
@@DanielleSnyder same here :)
@angelwolfheart9260 2 жыл бұрын
With so many stories of corpses being exploited, stolen, and treated improperly, it's nice to have a story where someone basically got what they wanted for their death wishes.
@bookworm1616 3 жыл бұрын
This could have only happened in the 70s. This story honestly is the most 70s thing to happen.
@moonbook12 3 жыл бұрын
Indeed
@DrachenGothik666 Ай бұрын
It was the most 70s thing to happen in the 70s. LOL
@crizmeow8394 3 жыл бұрын
When Caitlin called us groovy babies.. I felt that
@dawns1978 3 жыл бұрын
Caitlin: Why don’t we do food videos? Me: Cannibalism is frowned upon in our society.
@brianimy 3 жыл бұрын
I'm pretty sure people these days aren't open to the idea of eating porpoises, either.
@lazyperfectionist3978 3 жыл бұрын
I mean she's very much welcome to go and make an iconic corpse episode related to food and cannibalism, don't see why not
@We_Are_All_Vultures 3 жыл бұрын
But what about recycling???
@ashleigh2243 3 жыл бұрын
that was my exact first thought. or just placenta steaks 😂
@FilthyBitchGunClub 3 жыл бұрын
@@ashleigh2243 They say that's the best thing a new mother can eat right after giving birth. You know, "they."
@Sanee650 3 жыл бұрын
„Piquant mix of privilege and pain“ is so wow...very well worded
@MF-R 2 жыл бұрын
"Well intentioned, but; drunk and inept." That sums up so much of my life.
@mikey-wl2jt 3 жыл бұрын
"Well-intentioned, but drunken and incompetent."
@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980 3 жыл бұрын
That sounds like an apt discription of my final year at college. I'm joking I wasn't incompetent. But the rest of it - yah basically guilty charged.
@daughteroftheking971 3 жыл бұрын
100% best quote
@atom_gray 3 жыл бұрын
if i had a tombstone inscription, that's the one...
@tarmaque 3 жыл бұрын
If my Dad had a tombstone (he's in his plastic box in my garage right now) that would be a fitting epitaph.
@davidolie8392 3 жыл бұрын
It was perfectly edited. Piece of work.
@khris_goodman 3 жыл бұрын
Katelynn. I know you probably won’t see this. But having a wake for my kitten made me feel connected to her and helped with the grieving process. When she passed she wasn’t at home with me. It was heartbreaking. I laid her out on ice in her bed wrapped in a blankie. She’s cuddled with a little stuffed lamb and her toothbrush I used to brush her. Without your guidance this process would have been unbearable.
@mandala314 3 жыл бұрын
Namaste.
@urban_gse_ 3 жыл бұрын
I'm so sorry. 😩😩😩😩😩
@Contact_Info 3 жыл бұрын
Sorry lovely, I have a litter of kittens I would give you another, east coast though
@elenaderoet4926 3 жыл бұрын
Hugs
@mousetreehouse6833 3 жыл бұрын
Many people don't understand the incredible bond between humans and their pets, and the effect that their death has on us. So sorry for your loss.
@cookiedxstinyd6107 3 жыл бұрын
“You end up with a cooked Gram, not a cremated Gram.”
@dougbemish2335 3 жыл бұрын
"When everyone else is truly terrible at their jobs, you look like a genius in comparison" 13:40
@historyarmyproductions 3 жыл бұрын
So true lol
@MildeAmasoj 3 жыл бұрын
It actually makes me smile to think of how good of a friend Hoffman is. He went to great lengths to respect Graham. Sad that he died so young, but I’m happy he had people who would do so much for him.
@codydaily3807 3 жыл бұрын
"Well intentioned. But drunken, and incompetent." Christ the describes me well.
@RealElongatedMuskrat 3 жыл бұрын
Same, I felt personally called out there
@MrJubbey 2 жыл бұрын
I visited the Joshua Tree Inn in 2006 and found it to be a peaceful tranquil place. The desert surrounding it is beautiful. I see why Gram loved it.
@jxn1056 3 жыл бұрын
I'm so glad his actual family got his estate. He really had some great friends.
@breannaperkins88 3 жыл бұрын
Could you do an Iconic Corpse on the pianist who loved Hamlet so much that after he died, he donated his skull to the Royal Shakespearean Company so it could be used for the "Alas, poor Yorick" scene?
@sheep1ewe 3 жыл бұрын
Yes, please!
@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980 3 жыл бұрын
His name was Tchaikovsky if that helps any.
@harveyabel1354 3 жыл бұрын
MORE likes, please!
@breannaperkins88 3 жыл бұрын
@@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980 It does. Thank you 😊
@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980 3 жыл бұрын
@@breannaperkins88 No Worries Mate! 👍
@mcmullen_photo 3 жыл бұрын
Okay, but "Gram Theft Parsons" is a damn good joke.
@DrachenGothik666 Ай бұрын
"Gram Theft Parsons" would also make an _amazing_ cover band name.
@Daisy30y03 2 жыл бұрын
Her spontaneous combustion had me on the floor 🤣🤣 If my friends did this, they'd have my eternal gratitude. Right on
@mindyadambiznezz8406 3 жыл бұрын
I have heard this story a few times before, but Caitlin, you tell it the best! Your witty dialogue and style are supreme! The whole situation is a mix of a tragic loss, hilarious hijinks, and the touching level of a friends loyalty. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction. Gram, you left this world much too soon. RIP. ✌🏼❤️
@acasualcactus5878 3 жыл бұрын
That Great Corpses Plus Joke was on point, Caitlin.
@krikeles 3 жыл бұрын
I for one would sign up for the Great Corpses Plus.
@FireDragonArmy2 3 жыл бұрын
Yes.... i thought it instantly... i am sorry.
@dermiker 3 жыл бұрын
It's because the last time she was sponsored by GCP everyone was commenting how they heard corpse instead of course!
@LazyIRanch 3 жыл бұрын
@@krikeles Well, if you're subscribed to Caitlin's awesome, funny, informative, and very entertaining channel, then you are signed up for "Great Corpses, PLUS!"
@fiberrabit8229 3 жыл бұрын
Ayyyy cunard line love that haha, also a white star fan
@CWM-xl8ki 3 жыл бұрын
Swear down, if my mates don’t pull some shit like this when I die. I’ll be raging and 100% haunt them.
@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980 3 жыл бұрын
Make a death plan now!
@MJMucha 3 жыл бұрын
I made my death plan! (I have terminal cancer.) And have included a stipulation that at the viewing, I MUST have large “googly eyes” placed over my closed eyes!
@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980 3 жыл бұрын
@@MJMucha ROTFLMAO! Well Played Sir/Madame! Well Played Indeed! 👏🙌👍 Mine says at my wake I'm to have my coffin (& yes it's to be a coffin & *NOT* a casket!) Propped against the wall & a glass of red wine put in my hand. I've also said to put sunglasses on my corpse so my eyes don't freak out the more sensitive people there. But I think after reading your request I might change it to giant googly eyes instead. Or styrofoam eyes that have been glued to glasses so I can be 'looking' in two directions at once. 👀
@hughbrackett343 3 жыл бұрын
@@MJMucha I was thinking of specifying a Groucho Marx nose & glasses set.
@terrirobinson3876 3 жыл бұрын
Y'all are my people.
@tessajubilee 2 жыл бұрын
I love Gram. This definitely isn’t my first time hearing this story but is one of my favorite ways of hearing it. Thank you
@stflaw 3 жыл бұрын
"Gram and Keith Richards became close friends." That is a story that never ends well. FYI, they made a movie some years ago about the Parsons corpse heist called Grand Theft Parsons. It plays fast and loose with the facts, but is pretty hilarious.
@rlewis36 3 жыл бұрын
"Why don't I do food videos..." Caitlin, you covered the Donner Party already, remember?
@PunkHime89 3 жыл бұрын
Noooooo 🤣
@GoldenXBoots 3 жыл бұрын
I chortled, well done!
@katherinemorelle7115 3 жыл бұрын
This story is actually kinda sweet. Well, except for the drink driving and the failed cremation. But their hearts were in the right place.
@Enigma-gu6iw 3 жыл бұрын
Now I know where to pick up some free guitar picks the next time I'm in Joshua Tree.
@cam4636 2 жыл бұрын
"A Bizarre Desert Ritual, Perhaps Satanic...No, well-intentioned, but drunken and incompetent" I feel a foreboding of what my own eulogy will sound like Edit post-reading the comments: I see we're all struggling
@lavenderlylin 3 жыл бұрын
Episode: (is about death) Catlyn, dancing around: *tO tHe dEsErT mY gRoOvY bAbiEs*
@lizkruis674 3 жыл бұрын
That’s why we love her
@Aleph_Null_Audio 3 жыл бұрын
16:25 Not many coroners can say they've had a repeat customer!
@melissarose0126 3 жыл бұрын
Well done sir.
@spookysugar 2 жыл бұрын
Not gonna lie, I teared up at the fans' notebook. For many of us, musicians become close friends and confidants via their works, without even meeting them in person, so it's specially heartbreaking that, in this case, his own "family" was far more worried in getting his money than respecting his last wishes.
@butterbeanqueen8148 9 ай бұрын
I can’t believe I hadn’t ever heard of this before. I must say that I admire the determination of his friends to follow out Gram’s wishes. I found this story very heartwarming.
@biaclarissa4062 3 жыл бұрын
"Why we don't we do food videos?" You did. That porpoise recipe was a sucess.
@soulbait7 3 жыл бұрын
This is one of the most 70s things I've heard in a while.
@maralynn7527 3 жыл бұрын
"really we should do more food videos" Honestly, a series on people's last meals would be interesting!
@jawjagrrl 3 жыл бұрын
One of my fave local eateries did a theme weekend where the menu was the last request meals of famous prisoners like Gacy, etc. Don't remember who I choose, but it included fried chicken and fresh strawberries.
@yeoisa 2 жыл бұрын
@@jawjagrrl that would be gacy !
@bethn9219 2 жыл бұрын
When she said that, I was reminded of when I was eating my supper tonight while watching her video on the plague in San Francisco. I was trying to eat right as she was describing the symptoms of the plague. I paused in my chewing for a few seconds until she moved on to talking about the logistics of the situation. I was then able to continue eating. 😂 I would be interested in more food related videos though and you’re right, a series about last meals would be interesting.
@kathistoops1012 3 жыл бұрын
My husband and I stayed in Gram's room for two nights in November 2019. I love Gram and his music so much. It was an amazing vibe in the room, I had an "experience" while staying there. The Inn is such a cool, laid back place, we will be going back. The corpse story is so bizarre but Phil really was trying to honor his wishes. 😱 Love your channel! 💕
@teagangraybill8160 3 жыл бұрын
Caitlyn: "why don't we do food videos?" Me: *remembers the mummy eating episode*
@bumblebee560 3 жыл бұрын
🤢 Oh dear. 🤣
@Linnerd 3 жыл бұрын
Which one was that?😂
@candice6137 3 жыл бұрын
Huh? what? I need the name of that episode omg!!!
@jorgeluz9560 3 жыл бұрын
Not to mention all the cannibalism episodes.
@moonchild972 3 жыл бұрын
"This guy again?" I'm sorry, I know multiple autopsies on the same person aren't uncommon but I'm just imagining the coroner thinking the guy actually died two times 😂
@abbyroad5169 3 жыл бұрын
Omg
@RealElongatedMuskrat 3 жыл бұрын
Especially since he was burnt the second time and in some cultures they burnt the bodies of suspected vampires (rather than the more common cutting off of their heads) because it was believed to prevent their rising from the dead. I wonder if he was like wait a sec... 😂 I mean if Parsons was a bit of an eccentric dude who probably slept a lot in the day and partied through the night, who's to say there wasn't at least one person who heard about the burning and thought yep, knew he was a vampire.
@LadyVineXIII 3 жыл бұрын
I mean, it was what he wanted. And stealing his estate from his wife, daughter and sisters was really not gonna be ok. I too disapprove of the Drunken Driving and am concerned by the collateral fire potential, but I can't really say anything against making such decent final wishes happen.
@sophiaschult 2 жыл бұрын
Oh my gosh! My dad would tell me this story on long road trips when I was a kid, we were big fans of him! It was one of my favorites, I don't even know why. Thank you for making a video on it!
@machimigookbutterfly 3 жыл бұрын
"Corpse Heist" is exactly how I want to be removed from the Morgue and taken to my all natural burial. I wish my Funeral to be the highlight of everyone's year.
@jenb7756 3 жыл бұрын
I shouldn't laugh at anyone's demise, and yet, this caper was hilarious
@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980 3 жыл бұрын
Another addition to the Only In California Files.
@HuminBeenz 3 жыл бұрын
I like to think even dead people have a pretty good sense of humor.
@wackyvorlon 3 жыл бұрын
I get the feeling that Parsons was the sort who would have loved what happened.
@katherine1304 3 жыл бұрын
honestly? what they did for him was really sweet and it’s a shame it didn’t completely cremate his body. genuine love for him there man
@chukukuroyame5216 2 жыл бұрын
this is one insane hilarous story but also so full of friendship. Just WOW
@nathanjplatt 3 жыл бұрын
No matter how many times she says "Great Courses Plus" ....my brain goes " Great corpses plus"....I can't help it. I lose it laughing
@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980 3 жыл бұрын
You me & everyother Deathling hon.💀📖 🤣
@jerichothedrifter60 3 жыл бұрын
Buhwhaddabout Grape Corpses Plus?? Mmmmm...graaaape...
@drengskap 3 жыл бұрын
Gram Courses Parsons
@Meghan2219 3 жыл бұрын
You had me at, “Corpse heist”.
@vomitfountain 3 жыл бұрын
She had all of us. She knows her audience. 😁
@K._Oss 2 жыл бұрын
All in all, this is one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most idiotic yet legendary moments
@crowdemon_archives 2 жыл бұрын
It's a "they're trying their best alright!" moment lol, despite the misadventure and all
@curtislowe4577 3 жыл бұрын
Bernie Leadon wrote "My Man" about Gram Parsons. It's on the On The Border Eagles album. I remember reading about this faux pas when it occurred and wondering how anyone could be so fundamentally ignorant of such simple concepts of basic physical science. Even as a 17 year old I had some understanding of the phenomenal amount of heat that is necessary to boil away all the liquid in a grown man before the remaining tissues can burn to ash. Then there are the bones...
@zkarebear 3 жыл бұрын
100% we need a video of “Hearse Camping with Caitlin”
@flxwercxrpse1871 3 жыл бұрын
Honestly, this was hilariously wholesome. They just wanted to honor his wishes and i bet Gram was laughing his ass off watching their plan play out. I know i would be. Funny i saw this video after my brothers death anniversary and when we went to visit him at his crypt we saw a newcomer next to him so the corner thingies that hold it shut were wobbly and we almost opened it. We could've i think but my sister stopped me and my mom. We wish to see him again okay? We didn't have enough time to see him one last time. Sue me!
@dirtysanchez941 3 жыл бұрын
I guarantee Gram laughed. As they were burning the body, a wind whirled up, and the fire kept going out! It took a long time to do it. Kaufman was also locked up in the same prison as Manson
@oldcremona 3 жыл бұрын
05:08 A quick reference to the ground breaking guitarist Clarence White. In addition to being the Byrd's lead player, he was one of the original bluegrass lead acoustic guitar players, still much admired and emulated. He can be seen in a episode of the Andy Griffith show. His early death (run over by a drunk driver) deprived us of a game-changing musician.
@1978garfield Жыл бұрын
He also developed with Gene Parsons (no relation) the Parsons/ White bender, a gizmo for guitar that allows it to emulate pedal steel guitar sounds.
@marvindenke2689 3 жыл бұрын
The loss of Gram will never be replaced, Thank tp Emmy Lou Harris for keeping is memory alive.
@margaretross9150 3 жыл бұрын
He was totally unique as both a person and a musician. As you said, irreplaceable.
@carolinemiller6151 3 жыл бұрын
"Does that mean I can't steal another body for a year?" Between drunkenly stealing a corpse from the airport and gasoline fueled cremation attempt, the 70's were absolutely wild, man.
@RealElongatedMuskrat 3 жыл бұрын
Absolutely nuts! I mean think of the number of active serial killers there were in california around then too - no wonder everyone was high all the time, it'd have been a scary time to be sober. Charles Manson in 1969, golden state killer in the early 70s to mid 80s I think, the hillside strangler, ALL active at the same time. I'd be off my head too probably.
@laurelanderson6782 3 жыл бұрын
Can you imagine how much trouble someone would be in today if they even attempted to steal a corpse from an airport?
@carolinemiller6151 3 жыл бұрын
@@RealElongatedMuskrat First - amazing username - and secondly, I couldn't agree with you more. Along with all of that there was also the Vietnam War occupying the public psyche too; when you add everything together I'm shocked anyone got out of the 70's alive or with any sanity. I know that we live in stressful times too, but there's something unique about the late 60's to early 80's where they're defined by such human crimes - like the serial killers you mentioned - that makes that era sound absolutely terrifying as opposed to the more ambiguous threats we deal with now like COVID or climate change.
@carolinemiller6151 3 жыл бұрын
@@laurelanderson6782 I know right? Or just even being on airport property where you weren't supposed to be! I'm afraid of standing in the wrong line during security by accident, I can't even imagine working up the nerve (lot's of booze probably helped) to go demand a corpse about to be loaded on a plane.
@laurelanderson6782 3 жыл бұрын
@@carolinemiller6151 yes, it is absolutely insane that ever worked in the first place but today, I have a feeling that the response would probably involve a SWAT team and who knows what else. It would be most unpretty for the people trying to steal the corpse.
@MJMucha 3 жыл бұрын
I bought my green burial plot, have made a death plan, have a patient advocate filed, and am working on writing my obit & life story. Thank you for your help! ❤️
@jessiemayfield6749 3 жыл бұрын
Wow i wish I was there I’m just starting righting my will
@DayDreamingWhispersASMR 3 жыл бұрын
Omg that’s amazing! Any advice?
@someguy8825 2 жыл бұрын
My husband and I actually had the honor of spending a weekend there with Phil Kaufman in 2013. It's a great little hotel if anyone is over in the area I greatly suggest you stay the night 😎👍
@ret03man 2 жыл бұрын
Sounds to me like a totally wasted life. Drugs and alcohol are for losers who are afraid of living and worse, thinking. As far as his "friend" he only succeeded in postponing his trip to Louisiana. If he had been sober he might have pulled it off.
@josephschultz3301 2 жыл бұрын
Aside from Gram's untimely overdose and death, I think I might be in love with this story. It has literally everything that the crazy times of the 60s and 70s could offer. I mean, shit, there's even a "heist"!
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