Gram Parsons burned hot and fast, pioneering the sound that became alt-country. After recording one album in the country-tinged International Submarine Band, he joined The Byrds in 1968. Though his tenure was brief, his contributions to their Sweetheart of the Rodeo solidified the sound of country in rock. Parsons co-founded The Flying Burrito Brothers and stayed for two LPs, which influenced many of his contemporaries, including The Rolling Stones. With help from a then-unknown Emmylou Harris, he issued a pair of now-classic solo LPs, one of which came out just after his 1973 death.