I love Emmy Lou Harris. In my “music phase” I read a book on Gram Parsons, her early on singing partner.
Gram was very talented, but a wild one. Catholic, he made a deal with a musi- cal catholic co-hort. No embalming laced Catholic funeral. Whoever survives will take the other out to the desert and burn him up.
Gram lost the bet. And his life. His friend told of taking Gram to the desert to fulfill his promise.
He had to stop at the gas station for a 5-gallon gas can, to perform the deed. “You want leaded or unleaded”” the attendant asked Gram’s friend.
The friend confessed. He said,” I told him unleaded. I didn’t want Gram to ‘Ping.’” The friend said he couldn’t understand why Gram’s family was still mad.