Chris Hillman is better known as one of the original members of the band The Byrds, along with Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Gene Clark, and Michael Clarke.
Together with Gram Parsons, Hillman was a key figure in the development of country-rock music style. He virtually defined the country’s most successful genre through his great work in the group The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Later, he became the leader of the Country act Desert Rose Band. The group proved to be the singer’s most commercially successful post-Byrds music project.
Starting from the late ‘80s, the band recorded 7 albums and had a string of sixteen country music hits; the majority of them were in the country Top 10, bringing a number of Academy of Country Music awards.
When the success of the Desert Rose Band reached its peak, Chris Hillman started appearing with McGuinn. Together, they released the successful Top 10 country duet "You Ain't Going Nowhere". Very soon, they joined Crosby in a reformed Byrds, playing several club dates. They also appeared at a tribute to the late Roy Orbison, performing "Mr. Tambourine Man" together with Bob Dylan. The Byrds then cut 4 new compositions for inclusion in a career-spanning box set.
In 1991, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was in 1996 when Chris Hillman reunited with Desert Rose alumnus Herb Pederson for the new record entitled Bakersfield Bound. Two years later, Like a Hurricane followed, as well as three bluegrass-flavored records with Larry Rice, Pedersen, and Tony Rice. After a short-termed hiatus, in 2002, Chris Hillman along with Pedersen returned with Way Out West, which is a sprawling seventeen-track collection of country, roots rock, and Americana. It was followed by The Other Side three years later.
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