Parsons' decision to play "Hickory Wind" instead of the planned Merle Haggard cover "Life in Prison" during The Byrds' performance at the Grand Ole Opry on March 15, 1968 "pissed off the country music establishment" and stunned Opry regulars to such an extent that the song is now considered essential to Parsons' legend.
Parsons' decision to perform "Hickory Wind" instead of "Life in Prison" during The Byrds' performance at the Grand Ole Opry on March 15, 1968 "angered the country music establishment" and surprised regulars so much that the song is now considered vital to Parsons' legacy.