Chris Hillman – From The Byrds to The Desert Rose Band – What A Ride!

Keith S | October 1, 2011 | 0 Comments

by Charlie Sullivan

Chris Hillman, one of the elder statesmen on the national music scene, has been performing since 1963 starting with the Scottsville Squirrel Barkers, The Hillmen, Bluegrass outfits, moving around with various acts and almost hanging it up before landing his gig with The Byrds (RRHOF Class of 1991 and what an honor, he says) in 1964, and then forming The Flying Burrito Brothers with Gram Parsons in 1968. The ’70s found him floating around in Manassas (Stephen Stills), The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, and McGuinn, Clark, and Hillman, all short-lived bands. “All of these bands had their moments and were great to be a part of; I still stay in contact with some of the guys,” he conveys. Finally, in 1987 he returned to his Bluegrass and Country roots forming The Desert Rose Band.

There are times you just run out of superlatives, but I’m going to give it a go. I had the chance to chat with Chris before his performance at the Rocky Mountain Music Festival and all I can say is what an incredibly humble and approachable man. For a guy who has been on the national music scene for almost fifty years he has no star pretentiousness. Obviously his colorful musical past belies that he’s always been a normal guy who still enjoys getting up on stage and entertaining the masses. The man just doesn’t believe in his own hype.

CMB: What was it like breaking into the music business in the ’60s?

CH: I considered myself very lucky to be doing what I was doing at that age. I was an okay bass player making a darn good living with The Byrds and there were Julliard-schooled bass players out there starving, people didn’t get the breaks that I got and I knew it. I’ll always remember that and I am grateful for the opportunity I was given. (Interesting considering he didn’t play bass until he joined The Byrds.)

CMB: Have you always found it natural to be on stage performing?

CH: No, I was always kind of the shy guy in The Byrds. Roger (McGuinn) and Gene (Clark) were always a lot more out front. It took a while for me to develop that ability.

CMB: Where do you think you’ve found your most success?

CH: The Desert Rose Band was and has been the most commercially successful of the bands I’ve performed in since The Byrds. We weren’t given any preferential treatment on the radio when we were breaking in, we had to earn it. The band was accepted for the music we were crafting. When we got the outfit together, cut a record and hit the circuit, we landed a hit on the Country charts and I’m thinking, okay, but when the hits started rolling in I was thinking this isn’t supposed to be happening, it was a real surprise. (TheAcademy ofCountry Music also took notice, garnering the crew with several awards.)

CMB: How long was the run with The Desert Rose Band?

CH: We had a good long run as a group, eight years. It was my longest affiliation with a band. There was consistency with the band; nobody had any baggage, no substance abuse issues. We all got along and we still have a great time together.

CMB: Why pull the band back together for the Rocky Mountain Music Festival?

CH: It was a lucrative offer (he laughs). I have to say that, but it’s not the main reason. Two years ago we were asked if we were interested getting the band together to perform at various shows. We talked it over and said why not. We played three or four shows each of the past few years and this is the only show on this year’s schedule. We still enjoy each other’s company and I think the band is playing better now than we did in our heyday. The hard part now is finding the availability of everybody involved to schedule dates.

CMB: Did you think all those years ago that you’d still be out on the circuit performing?

CH: I never thought about it back then. I consider myself lucky to still be performing, to have a following. I still have the passion for performing, to be able to touch a crowd, to touch a nerve in them, to communicate my art. As long as there’s a market I’ll stick with it.

CMB: Do you think you have another album in you?

CH: I’m not sure if I’ll ever do another album. I might take five months off after this and give it some thought, but if I do I’d go about differently. I’d do it myself like the kids today.

CMB: What do you think about the state of the music scene today?

CH: I don’t hear a lot of new unique music. It’s a lot of the same stuff that’s been around for years. You’re probably more in touch with it than I am.

CMB: What can you say to kids putting a band together today?

CH: The young bands today have it a lot harder than we did. It’s a lot harder to get recognition. I will say to them – stick with it, keep playing, burn those CDs and give them to the people at your shows. Yes, it’s good to be visible, but there is a certain amount of luck that goes along with it, stay on your educational curve, don’t quit school, you should see the looks I get from some of them when I say that (laughing). I’m impressed with the way some of the young bands market themselves. It’s hard for them to get noticed, but they manage to get their name out there. Another point of contention I find in music is MTV, the video generation, it’s a great marketing tool, we did some. But I feel it has stripped the imagination away from the music.

CMB: What music do you find yourself listening to these days?

CH: I have a tendency to journey back and listen to the older ’50s Country andBluegrass music. There was just something about the music; they were story songs, murder ballads. I still like listening to those old songs.

Watching Chris perform with The Desert Rose Band at the festival was pure magic. It’s always mesmerizing to watch musicians of this stature perform; sterling musicianship (John Jorgenson can still light it up on guitar), three part harmonies, heart and soul, and grins flashing between each other. All the hits were there, including “Love Reunited” and “One Step Forward” among others, and they covered a few Flying Burrito Brothers’ songs along the way. If you’re not familiar with the band or Chris’ work from the present or the past, it’s never too late to come up to speed. If you’re familiar, well then I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.

www.ChrisHillman.com