Girthang -- It's a hell of a yarn, captured in the Indie movie "Grand Theft Parsons."
The short version - at some point in his last year Gram Parsons and his manager, whose last name was Kaufman, were talking about what they wanted to happen after they died. Parsons, in part to keep his remains out of the hands of a step-father he didn't like, said he wanted to be burned and his ashes scattered in the weird beauty of Joshua Tree. Then he ODs at 26. Kaufman, through an amazing effort manages to steal his body from an airfield where it was waiting to be shipped back to Georgia. He races to Joshua Tree, douses the casket in gasoline, and at least partially burned the body.
Here's a longer account:
Gram Theft Burrito or Gram Theft Byrd - You Decide? Gram Parsons was considered a pioneer of the country rock movement of the late 1960's into the 1970's
www.desertusa.com