Flying Burrito Brothers’ Iconic Suits Reunited For First Time In Over 50 Years

Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The Flying Burrito Brothers’ four iconic “Nudie suits” were reunited for the first time in more than half a century at a celebration Thursday (July 20) at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

The late Chris Ethridge’s long-lost suit has been found and was unveiled alongside the three other suits currently on display in museum’s major exhibition, “Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock,” presented by City National Bank.

Ethridge’s suit was reported stolen from a car in 1969 shortly after it was featured on the cover of the band’s album The Gilded Palace of Sin. Recently, it was discovered that the suit was returned to Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors shop the same year, and rising pop star Elton John bought it off the shop’s rack the following year. John can be seen wearing the suit during his 1971 Top of the Pops TV performance and on the sleeve of his 1972 “Rocket Man” single in the U.K. Ethridge’s custom Nudie suit is embroidered with red and yellow roses and rhinestones. It was a nod to his southern roots and inspired by his love of the Hank Snow song “Yellow Roses,” written by Kenny Devine and Sam Nichols.

Necia Ethridge, Chris’ daughter, recently purchased the suit after it was spotted in an online auction. She has loaned it to the museum for its Western Edge exhibit, which opened last year and runs through May of 2025. Necia spoke at the suit unveiling event, which acknowledged her father’s musical legacy. Best known for his R&B-inspired bass playing in the Flying Burrito Brothers, he was also a songwriter and an in-demand studio musician, playing on records by Linda Ronstadt, Randy Newman, Jackson Browne and many others. Ethridge also spent nearly eight years in Willie Nelson’s touring band, and played on Nelson’s “Whiskey River.”

“His rhythmic bass lines added depth and richness to sessions and showcased his ability to effortlessly switch between different musical styles, helping to erase the cultural and musical divide between country and rock,” Necia said of her father at the event.

“This is an incredible moment for the Ethridge family and our museum,” shared Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “To think that such an iconic piece of cosmic cowboy couture took a ride with the ‘Rocket Man’ and made it back home is almost unbelievable. But it happened, and we share that story in the exhibit. The Flying Burrito Brothers’ innovative country-rock sound and bold style continues to influence artists to this day. We’re ecstatic to be able to present all four suits together for the first time since they were seen onstage in 1969.”

During the event, Chris’ granddaughter Emma Atkinson sang “She,” a song Chris wrote with Gram Parsons from Parson’s acclaimed GP album. She was accompanied by longtime Ethridge family friends Adam Box, the drummer for Brothers Osborne, and Patrick Sansone, a multi-instrumentalist for Wilco, along with Box’s bandmates Jason Graumlich (guitar) and Pete Sternberg (bass). Following the unveiling, Sansone capped the event with a performance of “Hot Burrito #1,” a song Ethridge and Parsons wrote for The Gilded Palace of Sin.

Manuel Cuevas, who was head designer at Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors in L.A. and created the famous suits, and Phil Kaufman, who was road manager for the Flying Burrito Brothers and reported the suits stolen from his station wagon, were also in attendance at the event. The Museum’s Michael Gray provided remarks on the historical context around the suits and the Flying Burrito Brothers.