Chris Hillman
Contemporary Bluegrass
Chris Hillman is a California-born mandolinist, bassist, and singer whose teenage start in San Diego bluegrass with The Hillmen led to founding seats in The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, and Desert Rose Band — and a late-career return to acoustic/bluegrass roots with the trio he leads alongside Herb Pedersen and John Jorgenson.
- Born December 4, 1944 in Los Angeles; raised on a family ranch in rural northern San Diego County (Rancho Santa Fe).
- Came up in the California bluegrass scene as a teenage mandolinist; took mandolin lessons from Scott Hambly in Berkeley after seeing the Kentucky Colonels at the Ash Grove at age 15.
- First band was the Scottsville Squirrel Barkers (San Diego); recorded the supermarket-distributed LP "Blue Grass Favorites."
- In late 1963 joined the Golden State Boys (with Vern and Rex Gosdin and banjoist Don Parmley), which was renamed The Hillmen — one of the legendary early West Coast bluegrass bands.
- Co-founded The Byrds (1964), Flying Burrito Brothers (1968), and Desert Rose Band (1985), but always kept his bluegrass/mandolin voice central.
- Returned firmly to acoustic/bluegrass roots in the late 2010s: 2017's "Bidin' My Time," co-produced by Tom Petty, drew on his folk, bluegrass, and country lineage.
- Long-running acoustic trio with banjoist/tenor singer Herb Pedersen and guitarist John Jorgenson; a 50th-anniversary "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" tour with Roger McGuinn followed in 2018.
- Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024 (with the Byrds) and a recurring guest at IBMA, MerleFest, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.
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Bob WarfordPlayed on recordings with Chris Hillman
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Chris HillmanPlayed on recordings with Chris Hillman
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Herb PedersenPlayed on recordings with Chris Hillman
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Jay Dee ManessPlayed on recordings with Chris Hillman
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Jerry ScheffPlayed on recordings with Chris Hillman