"Boulder to Birmingham" is a song written by Emmylou Harris and

Bill Danoff William Thomas Danoff (born May 7, 1946) is an American songwriter and singer. He is known for “Afternoon Delight", which he wrote and performed as a member of the Starland Vocal Band, and for writing multiple hits for John Denver, including " ...

which first appeared on Harris's 1975 album ''

Pieces of the Sky ''Pieces of the Sky'' is the second studio album and major-label debut by American country music artist Emmylou Harris, released on February 7, 1975, through Reprise Records. Although she had released the obscure folk-styled '' Gliding Bird'' fi ...

.'' It has served as something of a signature tune for the artist and recounts her feelings of grief in the years following the death of country rock star and mentor

Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973) who was known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist who recorded as a solo artist and with the International Submarine Band, ...

. Early in her career, Harris toured with Gram Parsons and sang on his two solo albums '' GP'' and the posthumously released '' Grievous Angel''. The song is known for its chorus "I would rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham/I would hold my life in his saving grace/I would walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham/If I thought I could see, I could see your face." Harris did not write again about Parsons' death in such a direct way until "The Road", a track from her 2011 album '' Hard Bargain'', although "Michelangelo" from

Red Dirt Girl ''Red Dirt Girl'' is the nineteenth studio album by American country artist Emmylou Harris, released on September 12, 2000 by Nonesuch Records. The album was a significant departure for Harris, as eleven of the twelve tracks were written or co- ...

certainly appears to be about Parsons too. Bill Danoff recorded the song with his group, the Starland Vocal Band, on their self-titled debut album. A version of the song was a hit in New Zealand for

The Hollies The Hollies are a British pop rock band, formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band ...

, reaching number ten there, and later appeared on their album ''

A Crazy Steal ''A Crazy Steal'' is the 18th UK studio album by English rock/pop group, the Hollies. It includes their version of Emmylou Harris' "Boulder to Birmingham", which had been released two years prior, reaching number 10 in the charts in New Zealand ...

''. A version was recorded in 1975 by Scott Walker and

The Walker Brothers The Walker Brothers were an American pop group of the 1960s and 1970s which included Noel Scott Engel (eventually known professionally as Scott Walker), John Walker (born John Joseph Maus, but using the name Walker since his teens) and Gary Le ...

on their ''No Regrets'' album. In 2012, American alternative rock band,

The Fray The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King. Their debut album, '' How to Save a Life'' released in 2005, was certified double platinum by the RIAA and platinum in Australia ...

, released a cover of the song featuring Harris as a bonus track on their record, ''

Scars & Stories ''Scars & Stories'' is the third studio album by American alternative rock band The Fray. It was released on February 7, 2012. Background ''Scars & Stories'' was recorded beginning in March 2011, and concluded in July 2011. Unlike their debut alb ...

''.

Cover versions

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

included a cover on the song on her 1976 '' All I Can Do'' album.

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

cut a live version of the song and it originally appeared on her 1976 live album '' From Every Stage''; the track later appeared in the compilation ''Joan Baez: The Complete A&M Recordings'' (released September 23, 2003). The song also appeared in a 1984 episode of ''

The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television serie ...

'' titled "Play It Again, Luke" in which it was sung by actor

Tom Wopat Thomas Steven Wopat (born September 9, 1951) is an American actor and singer. He first achieved fame as Lucas K. "Luke" Duke on the long-running television action/comedy series ''The Dukes of Hazzard''. Since then, Wopat has worked regularly, ...

as Luke and guest star Roberta Leighton as country singer and a former flame of Luke's named Candy Dix. Jim Horn recorded a version of the song on his 2012 album ''Children of the Universe'' featuring Renee Armand on vocals. For their 2012 album ''

'', American rock band

recorded a version of the song, and Harris appears on the track as a featured artist.

Aoife O'Donovan Aoife O'Donovan ( , ; born November 18, 1982) is an American singer and Grammy award-winning songwriter. She is best known as the lead singer for the string band Crooked Still and she also co-founded the Grammy Award-winning female folk trio I'm ...

included a live version of the song on her album ''Man in a Neon Coat (Live from Cambridge)''.

The Wailin' Jennys The Wailin' Jennys are a Canadian music group. They have released several albums and received two Juno Awards. The group has been featured several times on the American Public Media program ''A Prairie Home Companion'' and their album '' Firec ...

covered the song on their 2017 album '' Fifteen''. In 2019 the song appeared in the film '' Wild Rose'' sung by

Jessie Buckley Jessie Buckley (born 28 December 1989) is an Irish actress and singer. The recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and three BAFTA Awards, she was listed at number 38 on ''The Irish Times'' list of ...

References

External links

* Emmylou Harri
Official Site

Emmylou Harris: The Sweetheart of the Rodeo
– An excellent biography by Bill DeYoung containing a background to the song. * http://www.juno.co.uk/products/boulder-to-birmingham/406383-01/ {{authority control 1975 songs 1976 singles Emmylou Harris songs The Walker Brothers songs The Hollies songs Country ballads Vehicle wreck ballads Songs written by Bill Danoff