Chris Hillman

A Los Angeles native, Hillman is known as a key developer of the country-rock genre. He's performed and recorded as a member of the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Desert Rose Band. While with the Byrds he topped the Billboard Hot 100 with the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame inducted "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)," which he also performed at the GRAMMY Museum. Hillman also reached No. 1 on the Country Singles chart while with the Desert Rose Band with "I Still Believe In You" and "He's Back And I'm Blue" in 1988. His most recent solo work, The Other Side, was released in 2005.

Hillman grew up in California in the 50s. After his sister – “the bohemian of the family” – came home from studying art at the University of Mexico and the University of Colorado with a stack of Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, and other records under her arm, 15-year-old Hillman became enamored with folk music. Then he heard old-time music and bluegrass, and his world shook. Head down, ears open, fingers suddenly itching inexplicably for a mandolin, a Southern California kid’s innocent obsession with Appalachian familial harmonies and strings would end up changing the course of music.

Artists as diverse of the late Cowboy hero Roy Rogers, Tom Petty, Beck, Scottish Hard-Rockers Nazareth and Emmylou Harris have recorded songs written by Chris Hillman or by Chris and his various musical collaborators over the past four decades.