What do The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Bros., Manassas, McGuinn, Clark and Hillman and The Desert Rose Band have in common? Answer: Multi-talented singer/songwriter/bassist/mandolinist and guitarist Chris Hillman.

Chris began his musical career in the early sixties in southern California, playing bluegrass with the Scottsville Squirrel Barkers and The Hillmen, the latter featuring future country music fixtures Vern and Rex Gosdin (a/k/a The Gosdin Brothers).

The Beatles had hit the public's conscience, and musicians all over America began forming bands to play this new music. In Los Angeles, David Crosby, Roger McGuinn and Gene Clark, spun away from the folk music scene, had begun crafting their own version of this new music. When David Crosby gave up trying to play bass, Chris was asked to join. After spending $40.00 on a bass guitar, he signed on.

After many months of rehersals, and a notable false start (see Beefeaters), The Byrds hit the big time with a (session-man assisted) cover of Bob Dylan's 'Mr. Tambourine Man'. The Byrds would go on to have more hits, great albums (at a time when most albums consisted of a hit single or two, the rest being 'filler', or marginal tracks).

'Younger Than Yesterday' brought Chris' composing and singing skills to the forefront. After The Byrds groundbreaking album 'Sweetheart of The Rodeo', Chris left the group to form 'The Flying Burrito Bros.' with Gram Parsons, who had helped steer The Byrds in a more country-oriented direction.

Since the break-up of The Burrito Bros. Chris has alternated between country music, bluegrass and rock 'n' roll. His work with The Desert Rose Band has echoes of The Burritos and The Byrds, in albums such as 'Pages of Life'.

His partner in the Desert Rose Band, vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Herb Pedersen (several excellent albums on Epic) has teamed with Chris 'Bakersfield Bound' (on Sugar Hill records, which also released several of Chris' solo albums, and re-issued 'The Hillmen'). The album expresses the 'Bakersfield Sound' as filtered thru the taste and sensibilities of these two talented musicians.

There is also a brand new CD out with Herb Pedersen, Larry Rice and Tony Rice, called 'Out of The Woodwork' on Rounder Records.