Chris Hillman was one of the original members of The Byrds in 1965 with Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Michael Clarke.

Along with frequent collaborator Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman was a key figure in the development of country rock, virtually defining America's most successful genre through his seminal work in The Byrds & The Flying Burrito Brothers, and later became the leader of the Country act Desert Rose Band.