They stole this rockstar’s dead body

Apr 15, 2025 #joshuatree #truecrime #raywilliamjohnson
The story of Gram Parsons' body being stolen is one of rock 'n' roll’s most bizarre and legendary tales. After the influential country-rock musician died of a drug overdose in 1973 at the Joshua Tree Inn in California, his stepfather arranged to have his body flown to New Orleans for a traditional burial. However, Parsons had once told his friend and road manager, Phil Kaufman, that he wanted to be cremated in Joshua Tree if anything happened to him. To honor that wish, Kaufman stole Parsons' body from LAX in a borrowed hearse, drove it into the desert, and attempted to cremate it by setting it on fire at Cap Rock.