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56-433: The Desert Rose Band was formed in 1985 by frontman Chris Hillman (born December 4, 1944), formerly a member of The Byrds , and co-founder, along with the late Gram Parsons of the country-rock band The Flying Burrito Brothers . Additional members included John Jorgenson (born July 6, 1956), who was mainly responsible for the instrumental arrangements of the songs, and Herb Pedersen (born April 27, 1944), responsible for

112-596: A career-spanning box set, and in 1991 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . In 1996 Hillman reunited with Desert Rose Band alumnus Herb Pederson for the CD Bakersfield Bound . Like a Hurricane (1998) and three bluegrass-flavored releases on Rounder Records with Pedersen, Larry Rice , and Tony Rice followed. He appeared on the 1999 album Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons in

168-745: A duet with Steve Earle on "High Fashion Queen" (which Hillman wrote with Parsons). After a brief hiatus Hillman and Pedersen returned with Way Out West (2002), a 17-track collection of country, roots rock and Americana ; this was followed by The Other Side (2005). In 2010 he recorded "Live at Edwards Barn" with Herb Pedersen for Rounder Records. Hillman has continued to write, perform and tour, with dates in 2017 with Herb Pedersen and John Jorgenson. He released his latest album, Bidin' My Time (2017), co-produced with Tom Petty , featuring guests including Roger McGuinn, David Crosby and members of The Heartbreakers. This has been described as "a kind of summing up of Hillman's long and varied career, incorporating

224-540: A duo joined by John Jorgenson on May 2, 2008 for a small DRB set at the Station Inn in Nashville. This six-man lineup is the best known, and includes all of the original members present on the hit albums from the 1980s. At this show, Hillman said it was the first time they had played together in 19 years. They went through a string of DRB hits but were unable to play "He's Back and I'm Blue" because Hillman said he had forgotten

280-451: A new band, The Byrds. Hillman was recruited to play bass guitar, although he had never picked up the instrument. Thanks to his bluegrass background, he quickly developed his own melodic style on the instrument. The Byrds' first single, a jangly cover of Bob Dylan 's " Mr. Tambourine Man ", was an international hit and marked the birth of folk rock . During the mid-1960s the Byrds ranked as one of

336-581: A part in the development of Southern rock . Rock and roll has usually been seen as a combination of rhythm and blues and country music, a fusion particularly evident in 1950s rockabilly . There has also been cross-pollination throughout the history of both genres; however, the term "country-rock" is used generally to refer to the wave of rock musicians of the late 1960s and early 1970s who began recording rock songs with country themes, vocal styles, and additional instrumentation, most characteristically pedal steel guitars . John Einarson states that, "[f]rom

392-588: A variety of perspectives and motivations, these musicians either played country with a rock & roll attitude, or added a country feel to rock, or folk, or bluegrass. There was no formula". The term country-rock had rarely been heard until the critic Richard Goldstein used it the June   6, 1968 issue of The Village Voice . In his piece, titled "Country Rock: Can Y'All Dig It?", Goldstein counted several artists as moving towards country-friendly material – including Moby Grape , Stone Poneys , Buffy Sainte-Marie ,

448-436: Is a music genre that fuses rock and country . It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal styles, and additional instrumentation, most characteristically pedal steel guitars . Country rock began with artists like Buffalo Springfield , Michael Nesmith , Bob Dylan , Nitty Gritty Dirt Band ,

504-582: Is usually considered some of their finest work; John Fogerty , who left Creedence Clearwater Revival behind for the country sounds of the Blue Ridge Rangers (1972); Mike Nesmith , who had experimented with country sounds while with the Monkees , formed the First National Band ; and Neil Young who moved in and out of the genre throughout his career. One of the few acts to successfully move from

560-500: The John Hiatt -penned hit " She Don't Love Nobody ", "Running", and a remake of Buck Owens's "Hello Trouble". The third album Pages of Life (1990) featured a remake of "Desert Rose" as well as a remake of Pedersen's folk song about his daughter "Our Baby's Gone" which was originally recorded on his 1976 album Southwest . JayDee Maness left the band in 1990 and was replaced on pedal steel guitar by Tom Brumley whom Jay Dee replaced in

616-694: The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers . The band lasted barely two years, recording only one album ( Blue Grass Favorites , which was distributed in supermarkets); however, it has a posthumous reputation as the spawning ground for a number of musicians who went on to play in the Eagles , the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Byrds, Hearts & Flowers , and the Country Gazette . When the band broke up in late 1963 Hillman received an invitation to join

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672-588: The mandolin . At the age of 15, Hillman went to Los Angeles to see the Kentucky Colonels bluegrass band at the Ash Grove , and later convinced his family to allow him to travel by train to Berkeley for lessons from mandolinist Scott Hambly. When Chris was 16, his father committed suicide. Hillman became known in San Diego's folk music community as a solid player; this won him an invitation to join his first band,

728-493: The "queen of country-rock", creating a highly successful pop-oriented brand of the genre. Pure Prairie League , formed in Ohio in 1970 by Craig Fuller , had both critical and commercial success with five straight Top 40 LP releases, including Bustin' Out (1972), acclaimed by AllMusic critic Richard Foss as "an album that is unequaled in country-rock", and Two Lane Highway , described by Rolling Stone as "a worthy companion to

784-588: The 21st century. Japan even took influence in the 70s with country rock mainly in the kayokyoku genre. Artists such as Takuro Yoshida , Lily and Saori Minami have often dabbled with country rock in their music. Country rock has survived as a cult force in Texas, where acts including the Flatlanders , Joe Ely , Butch Hancock , Jimmie Dale Gilmore , and California-based Richard Brooker have collaborated and recorded. Other performers have produced occasional recordings in

840-601: The Buckaroos. Maness would again play with Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen on their post Desert Rose Band duo albums Bakersfield Bound and Way Out West . The fourth studio album, True Love , was released in 1991. It was followed by 1993's Life Goes On , released only in Europe. Several prominent country and bluegrass musicians made guest appearances on Life Goes On including Sam Bush on fiddle, Tony Rice and Larry Park (of Boy Howdy ) on guitar, and Al Perkins on dobro. Before

896-509: The Burritos recorded the landmark The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969) followed by 1970's Burrito Deluxe . Parsons was fired from the line-up by June 1970 (replaced by guitarist Rick Roberts ) when the band toured Canada as part of the Festival Express tour, with Hillman reverting to bass guitar. Hillman stayed with the band for two more records, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Last of

952-678: The Byrds , the Flying Burrito Brothers , The International Submarine Band and others, reaching its greatest popularity in the 1970s with artists such as Emmylou Harris , the Eagles , New Riders of the Purple Sage , Linda Ronstadt , Little Feat , Poco , Charlie Daniels Band , and Pure Prairie League . Country rock also influenced artists in other genres, including The Band , the Grateful Dead , Creedence Clearwater Revival , The Rolling Stones , and George Harrison 's solo work, as well as playing

1008-643: The Byrds into the genre, among them the Beau Brummels and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band . A number of performers also enjoyed a renaissance by adopting country sounds, including: the Beatles, who re-explored elements of country in songs such as "Rocky Raccoon" and "Don't Pass Me By" from their 1968 self-titled double album (often referred to as the "White Album"), and "Octopus's Garden" from Abbey Road (1969); The Everly Brothers , whose Roots album (1968)

1064-630: The Byrds' earliest recording of "Satisfied Mind", found another lover of country music in Parsons. Sweetheart of the Rodeo was recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles and continues to inspire musicians in the Americana format. Parsons left the band shortly thereafter; Hillman brought in former Kentucky Colonels guitarist Clarence White as a replacement and White suggested that the group replace Kelley with Gene Parsons (no relation to Gram) on drums, but this line-up

1120-456: The Byrds' next album, The Notorious Byrd Brothers , on which he shared songwriting credit on seven of the album's eleven songs. Internal strife dogged the Byrds, and by the beginning of 1968 the band was down to two original members (Hillman and McGuinn), with Hillman's cousin Kevin Kelley on drums. They then hired Gram Parsons to replace Crosby. Hillman, who had brought country music into

1176-510: The Country Rock sound as the frontman for his Stone Canyon Band and recorded the 1966 album "Bright Lights & Country Music" and the 1967 album "Country Fever". Bassist Randy Meisner joined briefly in 1970 after leaving Poco and before joining Eagles . In 1966, as many rock artists moved increasingly towards expansive and experimental psychedelia , Bob Dylan spearheaded the back-to-basics roots revival when he went to Nashville to record

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1232-527: The Golden State Boys, regarded as the top bluegrass band in southern California and featuring future country star Vern Gosdin , his brother Rex and banjoist Don Parmley (later of the Bluegrass Cardinals ). Shortly thereafter the band changed its name to The Hillmen ; soon Hillman was appearing regularly on television and using a fictitious ID, "Chris Hardin", to allow the underage musician into

1288-588: The International Submarine Band and Bob Dylan – but he expected the Byrds ' forthcoming album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo , to represent the new genre. Before the Byrds' album was released in August   1968, Goldstein considered the Band 's debut album, Music From Big Pink , as the "first major album" of the country-rock movement when he reviewed it for The New York Times on August   4. Key to

1344-722: The McGuinn-Hillman name, with a hit single in 1979's "Don't You Write Her Off". By the early 1980s Hillman had returned to his bluegrass and country roots, recording two acclaimed (mainly acoustic) albums for Sugar Hill Records with singer/guitarist/banjo player Herb Pedersen (a former member of The Dillards ). Soon after, Hillman and Pedersen formed the Desert Rose Band ; this proved to be Hillman's most commercially successful post-Byrds project. Their self-titled debut album in 1987 generated two Top Ten country hits in "Love Reunited" (written with Steve Hill), "One Step Forward" and

1400-605: The Old Guys with two American members, drummer Andy Newmark and acoustic guitarist Bob Rafkin . Rafkin had written "Lazy Waters" for The Byrds from the 1971 album Farther Along , and Andy Newmark had played on the 1973 Gene Parsons album Kindling . Canadian country rock band Blue Rodeo has found considerable success in Canada, selling multi-platinum albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and continues to receive frequent radio airplay on Canadian radio stations. Later in 2013 Rocky and

1456-578: The Red Hot Burritos . Before the Flying Burrito Brothers disbanded, Hillman joined Stephen Stills ' band Manassas . They released two albums, a 1972 self-titled double album , and a 1973 album Down the Road . Led by Stills, Manassas was an exploration into a mixture of rock, country, blues, bluegrass and Latin music. In 1972, Stills gave Hillman a 1924 Lloyd Loar Gibson F-5 mandolin. Hillman remained with Manassas until 1973, when he briefly re-joined

1512-631: The Rolling Stones "High and Dry" (1966), as well as Buffalo Springfield 's "Go and Say Goodbye" (1966) and "Kind Woman" (1968). According to The Encyclopedia of Country Music , the Beatles' "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party", their cover of the Buck Owens country hit " Act Naturally " and their 1965 album Rubber Soul can all be seen "with hindsight" as examples of country rock. Former TV teen idol and rockabilly recording artist Ricky Nelson pioneered

1568-423: The Rolling Stones , and George Harrison 's solo work. It also played a part in the development of Southern rock , which, although largely derived from blues rock , had a distinct southern lilt, and it paved the way for parts of the alternative country movement. The genre declined in popularity in the late-1970s, but some established artists, including Neil Young, have continued to record country-tinged rock into

1624-556: The album Blonde on Blonde , playing with notable local musicians like Charlie McCoy . This, and the subsequent more clearly country-influenced albums, John Wesley Harding (1967) and Nashville Skyline (1969), have been seen as creating the genre of country folk , a route pursued by a number of, largely acoustic, folk musicians. Dylan's lead was also followed by the Byrds, who were joined by Gram Parsons in 1968. Parsons had mixed country with rock , blues and folk to create what he called "Cosmic American Music". Earlier in

1680-594: The country bars where many of his gigs were played. When the Hillmen folded, he briefly joined a spinoff of Randy Sparks' New Christy Minstrels known as the Green Grass Revival. At this point a frustrated Hillman considered quitting music and enrolling at UCLA when he received an offer from The Hillmen's former manager and producer, Jim Dickson, to join Jim (later Roger) McGuinn, David Crosby, Gene Clark and Michael Clarke in

1736-543: The country side towards rock were the bluegrass band the Dillards . Doug Dillard left the band to form the group Dillard & Clark with ex- Byrds member Gene Clark and Bernie Leadon . The greatest commercial success for country rock came in the 1970s, with the Doobie Brothers mixing in elements of R&B, Emmylou Harris (the former singer with Parsons) becoming a star on country radio, and Linda Ronstadt ,

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1792-656: The folk, bluegrass, country and rock styles he's touched on over the years." Along with Roger McGuinn, Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives, Hillman toured in the U.S. with the 50th Anniversary of the Sweetheart of the Rodeo, to sold out venues and outstanding reviews. His memoir, Time Between: My Life as a Byrd, Burrito Brother and Beyond, was published by BMG Books in November 2020, with positive reviews in Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, and now in

1848-519: The genre, Goldstein wrote, was that the album had country music's "twang and   ... tenacity", but it also "[made] you want to move" like rock music. Country influences can be heard on rock records through the 1960s, including the Beatles ' 1964 recordings " I'll Cry Instead ", " Baby's in Black ", " I Don't Want to Spoil the Party ", and their 1965 recording " I've Just Seen A Face ", the Byrds' 1965 cover version of Porter Wagoner 's "Satisfied Mind", or

1904-518: The genre, including Elvis Costello 's Almost Blue (1981) and the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss collaboration Raising Sand , which was one of the most commercially successful albums of 2007. Kid Rock , who broke through into mainstream success with a rap rock sound, gradually developed a country rock sound. In 2013, British country rock band Rocky and the Natives released Let's Hear It for

1960-441: The genre. The Byrds continued in the same vein, but Parsons left before the album was released to join another ex-Byrds member Chris Hillman in forming the Flying Burrito Brothers . The Byrds hired guitarist Clarence White and drummer Gene Parsons , both from the country band Nashville West . The Flying Burrito Brothers recorded the albums The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969) and Burrito Deluxe (1970), which helped establish

2016-488: The hit "Let Your Love Flow"(1976). In 1979, the Southern rock Charlie Daniels Band moved to a more country direction, released a song with strong bluegrass influence, " The Devil Went Down to Georgia ", and the song crossed over and became a hit on the pop chart. Outside its handful of stars, country rock's greatest significance was on artists in other genres, including the Band, Grateful Dead , Creedence Clearwater Revival ,

2072-426: The late 1950s with folk music records by The New Lost City Ramblers and others. Hillman soon began watching many of the country-music shows on local television in southern California at the time such as Town Hall Party , The Spade Cooley Show and Cal's Corral . Hillman's mother encouraged his musical interests and bought him his first guitar; shortly thereafter he developed an interest in bluegrass , particularly

2128-490: The likes of the Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo and other gems of the genre". Former Poco and Buffalo Springfield member Jim Messina joined Kenny Loggins in a very successful duo, while former members of Ronstadt's backing band went on to form the Eagles (two members of which were from the Flying Burrito Brothers and Poco), who emerged as one of the most successful rock acts of all time, producing albums that included Desperado (1973) and Hotel California (1976). However,

2184-469: The most successful and influential American pop groups; they recorded a string of hits, including " Turn! Turn! Turn! ", " Eight Miles High " and " So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star ". Hillman kept a low profile on the band's first two albums, on which McGuinn and Clark shared lead vocals with Crosby adding high harmony and singing the bridge on " All I Really Want to Do ". However, Clark's departure in 1966 and Crosby's growing restlessness allowed Hillman

2240-649: The number-one single "He's Back and I'm Blue." From 1987 until late 1993 the band recorded five albums and one Greatest Hits package and had a string of 16 country-music hits (the majority of which were in the country Top Ten) and a number of Academy of Country Music awards before disbanding in 1994. As Hillman said, "We definitely quit while we were ahead." Chris Hillman, Herb Pedersen, JayDee Maness, John Jorgenson, Bill Bryson, and Steve Duncan performed their first reunion concert on August 27, 2008 in Solana Beach, CA. Before this date Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen were as

2296-481: The opportunity to develop as a singer and songwriter in the group. He came into his own on the Byrds' 1967 album Younger Than Yesterday , co-writing and sharing lead vocals with McGuinn on the hit " So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star ". Hillman also wrote (and sang) the minor hit " Have You Seen Her Face ", "Thoughts and Words", "Time Between" and "The Girl with No Name", the latter two demonstrating his bluegrass and country roots. Hillman's prominence continued with

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2352-668: The original line-up of the Byrds for a reunion album on Asylum Records . In 1974, Hillman teamed with singer-songwriter Richie Furay (who co-founded Buffalo Springfield and Poco ) and songwriter JD Souther (who co-wrote much of the Eagles ' early repertoire) in the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band . The trio never quite gelled, and broke up in 1975 after two albums and internal squabbles. Hillman released two solo albums, Slippin' Away and Clear Sailin' , which included several songs co-written with Crawdaddy magazine editor Peter Knobler . One of their songs, "Step on Out,"

2408-473: The pair for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 's Will The Circle Be Unbroken Vol. II album, "You Ain't Going Nowhere", reached the Country Top 10 in 1989. Soon the pair joined Crosby in a reformed Byrds, playing a handful of club dates. In 1990 they appeared at a tribute to Roy Orbison , performing "Mr. Tambourine Man" with the song's composer Bob Dylan . That same year the Byrds cut four new songs for inclusion in

2464-528: The principal country rock influence in the Eagles came from Bernie Leadon , formerly of the Flying Burrito Brothers, and the Eagles are perceived as shifting towards hard rock after he left the band in late 1975. The Ozark Mountain Daredevils had hit singles "If You Wanna Get To Heaven" (1974) and "Jackie Blue" (1975), the latter of which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. The Bellamy Brothers had

2520-703: The release of this final studio album, was the 1993 compilation Traditional . John Jorgenson and Steve Duncan left the band in 1991. Jorgenson went on to form the Hellecasters with Will Ray and Jerry Donahue; Duncan also joined the Hellecasters. John Jorgenson is currently playing gypsy jazz with his John Jorgenson Quintette. Chris and Herb recorded an acoustic album called The Other Side in 2005. They continue to tour as an acoustic duo. Former Buck Owens steel player Tom Brumley played with Joey Riley's band in Branson, Missouri . He died on February 3, 2009. The Desert Rose Band

2576-518: The respectability and parameters of the genre, before Parsons departed to pursue a solo career. Country rock was a particularly popular style in the California music scene of the late 1960s, and was adopted by bands including Hearts and Flowers, Poco (formed by Richie Furay and Jim Messina , formerly of the Buffalo Springfield) and New Riders of the Purple Sage . Some folk-rockers followed

2632-626: The second printing. Chris Hillman identifies as a Christian although his father was Jewish. He married former record executive Connie Pappas in 1979, who influenced him to affiliate with the Greek Orthodox Church . He later stated, "I’m still learning. You know what I do on Sundays? I sing in a choir. I sing in a Greek Orthodox choir, and I’m the only hillbilly tenor in the Orthodox Church." Hillman and Pappas have two children, Catherine and Nicholas. Country rock Country rock

2688-430: The vocal arrangements. Jorgenson and Pedersen sang three-part harmony with Hillman. Each Desert Rose Band album featured Pedersen on one lead vocal. Pedal steel player JayDee Maness (born January 4, 1945), drummer Steve Duncan (born July 28, 1953), and bassist Bill Bryson (1946–2017) rounded out the group. Their eponymous debut album was issued in 1987 on MCA / Curb . It contained their first hit "Ashes of Love", which

2744-501: The words. This sold-out show prompted Hillman and the band to play a handful of other reunion shows at music festivals throughout the U.S. Several of these were recorded for inclusion on a live album, which Hillman hopes to release in the U.S. and Europe. If released, this will be the Desert Rose Band's only live album. At the peak of the Desert Rose Band's success, Hillman began appearing infrequently with McGuinn. A duet recorded by

2800-424: The year Parsons had released Safe at Home (although the principal recording for the album had taken place in mid-1967) with the International Submarine Band, which made extensive use of pedal steel and is seen by some as the first true country-rock album. The result of Parsons' brief tenure in the Byrds was Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968), generally considered one of the finest and most influential recordings in

2856-737: Was a key figure in the development of country rock , defining the genre through his work with the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers , Manassas and the country-rock group the Desert Rose Band . He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 as a member of the Byrds. Hillman was born in Los Angeles, California, the third of four children. He spent his early years at his family's ranch home in rural northern San Diego County , approximately 110 miles (180 km) from Los Angeles. He has credited his older sister with exciting his interest in country and folk music , when she returned from college during

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2912-455: Was nominated Vocal Group of the Year in 1989 and 1990. Broadcast Music Inc. , recognized "One Step Forward" and "Love Reunited" for having achieved the benchmark of One Million Broadcast Radio Performances. Chris Hillman Christopher Hillman (born December 4, 1944) is an American musician. He was the original bassist of the Byrds . With frequent collaborator Gram Parsons , Hillman

2968-612: Was nominated for two Grammy Awards, in the category Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: the debut album The Desert Rose Band (1987), and the single "She Don't Love Nobody" (1989). The band was a three-time winner of the Band of the Year/Touring Award presented by the Academy of Country Music Association, in 1988, 1989, and 1990. The band earned the Country Music Association's "Horizon Award" in 1989, and

3024-541: Was originally a Johnnie & Jack song from the early 1950s. It was the second time Hillman and Pedersen recorded "Ashes of Love," the first being on Hillman's just prior album Desert Rose on the Sugar Hill label. The Desert Rose Band's debut also featured a remake of Chris Hillman's "Time Between" which he previously wrote and recorded as a member of the Byrds, as well as the band's first chart-topper " He's Back and I'm Blue ". Their second album Running (1988) featured

3080-474: Was recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys on their 1985 album and became the title cut. He was also an in-demand studio musician, playing and singing on sessions for Gene Clark , Dillard & Clark , Poco , Dan Fogelberg and others. After an early 1977 UK tour reunited him with Roger McGuinn and Gene Clark , the trio stayed together as McGuinn, Clark & Hillman for two albums (on which Hillman continued his songwriting collaboration with Knobler) and one under

3136-479: Was short-lived and Hillman himself left the Byrds due to financial misappropriation by their management. Hillman teamed with Gram Parsons again (this time as vocalist, guitarist and songwriter) to form the Flying Burrito Brothers . Further honing their pioneering country-rock hybrid sound by combining the energy, instrumentation and attitude of rock and roll with the issues and themes of country music ,

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