In a series of revealing articles, I explored the mystery of who inherited Gram Parsons estate. I also examined the life and times of his daughter Polly. While Parsons was never openly hypocritical, his generous inheritance nearly bankrolled his legendary International Submarine Band. The mystery was also complicated by his untimely death from a lethal combination of morphine and alcohol in 1973. But who did he leave behind?
It turns out that the singer’s mother was an entrepreneur. She had an extensive property portfolio and was the daughter of citrus fruit magnate John A. Snively. As a result, she inherited most of the property. But Gram’s will left no instructions, so the line of inheritance was unclear. And his body had been stolen from an airport. So who did Gram leave behind? As a result, there is still no definitive answer to the question, “Who inherited Gram Parsons estate?”
Bob Parsons, Gram’s stepfather, was also a potential heir. Bob Parsons lived in New Orleans and stood to inherit a substantial portion of the estate. So, Bob Kaufman called a funeral home in Joshua Tree and learned that the body was on its way to Los Angeles for a Continental Airlines flight. Bob and Martin, meanwhile, borrowed his girlfriend’s unlicensed hearse to drive the body to New Orleans.
It is not yet known whether Bob inherited the estate of his late father. Bob Parsons was the closest living male relative of Gram Parsons and attempted to qualify as the heir. However, he had to prove that he was a resident of Louisiana. So, it was possible that he could have inherited the estate if he were the closest living male relative. However, he is not expected to inherit it, as many other family members would claim.