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Gram Parsons Celebrated

Rockers channel country-rock pioneer in California

Norah Jones and Keith Richards during Return To Sin City: A Tribute to Gram Parsons at Universal Amphitheatre in Universal City, California on July 10, 2004.
Lee Celano/WireImage
August 19, 2004

Thirty years after Gram Parsons' death, old pals (Keith Richards), new disciples (Norah Jones) and alt-country luminaries (Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle) turned out at California's Santa Barbara Bowl and Universal Amphitheatre for Return to Sin City, a two-night tribute to the country-rock pioneer. The shows benefited the Musicians' Assistance Program, which provides addiction treatment to music professionals. "He left us some great tunes that I've sung on very lonely nights and in odd places," said Richards, before leading an all-star singalong of "Wild Horses."

This story is from the August 19th, 2004 issue of Rolling Stone.

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