Chris Hillman

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Country Rock pioneer, Chris Hillman has never stopped making music, but these last few years have seen the music, the milestones, and the special events happening at an exceptional pace. Recently, Chris joined the lineup of SiriusXM’s Dwight Yoakam and The BakersfieldBeat (Ch. 349) with his weekly show, Chris Hillman’s Burrito Stand. Since its launch in 2022, the Burrito Stand’s stellar lineup of guests has included Dwight Yoakam, Bernie Leadon, Herb Pedersen, Roger McGuinn, Al Perkins, JD Souther, Richie Furay, John Jorgenson, Jay Dee Maness, Marty Stuart, Bernie Taupin, John McEuen, Henry Diltz, Rodney Dillard, Steve Duncan, Kenny Vaughan, Harry Stinson and Chris Scruggs, and more to come. In October of 2022 Hillman and The Desert Rose Band reunited for a final concert (their first in ten years) which was the grand finale to an outstanding event to launch the Country Music Hall of Fame’s acclaimed Western Edge exhibit celebrating “The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock.” The reunion concert featured all surviving original bandmembers: Chris Hillman (acoustic guitar/mandolin/lead vocals), Herb Pedersen (bluegrass banjo/acoustic guitar/vocals), John Jorgenson (guitar/mandolin/vocals), Jay Dee Maness (steel guitar) and Steve Duncan (drums). Nashville bassist Mark Fain replaced the late Bill Bryson. The Western Edge does justice to every decade of Hillman’s career as part of this multiyear presentation that covers the ‘60s through the ‘80s and the artists that changed the sounds of rock and country music. It traces the impact of artists such as The Byrds, and The Flying Burrito Brothers to Buffalo Springfield, The Desert Rose Band, the Eagles, Emmylou Harris, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Linda Ronstadt, along with the later L.A. roots music of the Blasters, Lone Justice, Los Lobos, and Dwight Yoakam, among others. The collective exhibit showcases video interviews, classic stage wear, notable instruments, artifacts, and much more. A highlight includes the Nudie suits created by famed designer Manuel and featured on the cover of The Flying Burrito Brothers’ 1969 landmark debut album, The Gilded Palace of Sin, marking the first time the suits (Chris Hillman’s, Gram Parsons’ and Sneaky Pete’s) have been displayed together since their original appearances. The Byrds became part of yet another prestigious Nashville exhibit when the legendary Ryman Auditorium opened Rock Hall at the Ryman, in November of 2022, showcasing the landmark venue’s impressive mark on the history of rock & roll. Now open to the public, the Rock Hall at the Ryman exhibit showcases instruments, stage costumes, and personal artifacts from more than 100 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees who have performed on the Ryman stage. In addition to The Byrds, the exhibit features James Brown, Eric Clapton, Foo Fighters, Joan Jett, Dolly Parton, and many others, as well as icons such as Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and Hank Williams. The Fall of 2022 also heralded the release of THE BYRDS: 1964-1967 (BMG Books) the ultimate collectible, tabletop book which Hillman curated with original members, Roger McGuinn and David Crosby. There have been accolades for the stunning, multi-edition book that features more than 500 images from a host of renowned photographers, as well as a comprehensive oral history created by Hillman, McGuinn, and Crosby. (The book marks their last collaborative effort before David Crosby’s untimely death in January of 2023.) Among the many rave reviews, Variety praised the book for its inspired approach, proclaiming it “one of the year’s best.” Hillman also continues to earn recognition for his autobiographical book, Time Between: My Life as a Byrd, Burrito Brother, and Beyond (BMG Books) which was released in paperback and audio in October of 2021. (The hardcover was released in 2020.) The autobiography spans nearly six decades of Hillman’s prolific career and has maintained its status as a celebrate