Hickory wind cover

Hickory wind

by Ben Fong-Torres

This compelling portrait of Gram Parsons superbly evokes the tumultuous musical era that he worked in, his personal mystique and, above all, the magic of his music - and is the only Gram biography to adequately explain why the legend lives on. This is a new edition - including a new epilogue from the author - of a work that is rightly regarded as a classic of its kind. Blessed with fabulous riches, charisma, good looks, a wealth of music business contacts and a unique songwriting gift, Gram Parsons still somehow ended his life overdosing in a motel, his charred remains scattered in the desert and his music virtually unknown. However, nearly 50 years on from his untimely demise, the man, the myth and the music endure. Ben Fong-Torres's Hickory Wind is the landmark biography of perhaps the greatest enigma in American music, combining meticulous research, perceptive criticism and key testimony from Gram's contemporaries - including Chris Hillman, Emmylou Harris and Keith Richards.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?