Gram Parsons...kind of:
"...when the Stones became tax exiles and moved to the French Riviera, Gram Parsons followed. Richards rented an estate called Nellcôte in Villefranche, a coastal town between Nice and Monaco, and Parsons was his houseguest for weeks on end. In order to accommodate Richards's increasing heroin addiction, the Stones set up a recording studio in the basement of Nellcôte and used it for all the sessions that would become Exile on Main Street (Rolling Stones, 1972).
The Parsons influence on Exile seems more pronounced than on previous Stones albums. "Sweet Virginia," "Torn and Frayed," even "Tumbling Dice" show the influence of the country music Parsons had been playing for Richards. Associates of Parsons like saxman Bobby Keys (one of the original original Burritos) and Al Perkins appear on the LP. And although he isn't credited, Parsons later claimed to have contributed backing vocals to "Sweet Virginia." (The backing vocals aren't distinct enough to say for sure if he's right.)
Exile on Main Street remains the Rolling Stones' finest hour. Keith Richards gives Parsons a small share of the credit: the country-influenced songs "wouldn't have been around if it weren't for Gram."*
Notwithstanding any positive musical influence he may have exerted and the fact that he paid for his own drugs, Parsons wore out his welcome after several weeks. Jagger had become jealous of the friendship between Parsons and Richards, but the real problem was Parsons's intake of drugs and alcohol. His excesses made him more trouble than he was worth, even for Richards."
<img src="http://www.gramparsons.com/img/photo/gram_nudie02.jpg" alt=" - " />
