“Rhinestones In The Ashes” // Benjamin Tod // plays Roger Alan Wade

This tune by Roger Alan Wade has been on my song list for 15 years now and it’s just as beautiful today as it was when I first heard it at the age of 16. It weaves the tale of the real life events that happen after Gram Parson’s death and his body being stolen and burned in Joshua Tree as a promise kept by his road manager.

The song begins with mention of a train climbing Tehachapi and I’m proud to say I’ve ridden that line as a hobo back in January of 2011. Ashley, our dog Daisy and I hopped a train out of Bakersfield, CA high on speed and experienced the ride through the Sierra Nevada’s on a cold winter moonlit night. The switch back the song mentions climbs 77 feet in a circle and typically side tracks with itself. We sided out just before the climb and got off to chase ghosts under the California moon. We did get back on before it aired up and climbed off in Barstow, CA which is one of the highest security train yards in the country. That’s another story though.

That’s one reason I think the song stuck with me over the years. I can almost taste those first lines and Gram Parsons has always been a huge influence in my singing and writing. I relate with him on many levels and one being he didn’t have the best singing voice, but his voice had real character and vulnerability.

Thank you to Whiskey Riff for asking me to make a video playing a Country song. I’m like a pariah to most roots publications but they’ve always kept up with what I’m doing a I appreciate the hell out of it.

-Benjamin Tod

www.benjamintodmusic.com
@benjamintodmusic