Where Are They Now?: The Byrds

The mid-60s in Los Angeles, Calif., were sprouting talent just as quickly as its sister city, San Francisco.

The Byrds were right there in the middle of all of it. Now their success was short lived when compared to that of their constituents(i.e. The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Rolling Stones), but they are still recognized as one of the most influential bands to come out of the 60s.

The general concept of The Byrds was to take the already widely adored sounds of the British rock/pop pioneers and applying a folk twist to those elements. Of course their music transformed with the decade and towards the latter part of the 1960s the band was creating psychedelic and raga rock.

The initial Byrds were Jim McGuinn (lead guitar, vocals), Gene Clark (tambourine, vocals), David Crosby (rhythm guitar, vocals), Chris Hillman (bass guitar, vocals), and Michael Clarke (drums).

After this original lineup of musicians the band took on all sorts of transformations, adding and removing members seasonally.

The Byrds-”Turn! Turn! Turn!”

This back and forth hoopla of course resulted in ultimate catastrophe and the band split permanently in 1973.

Their most famous tunes are a cover of Bob Dylan‘s “Mr. Tambourine Man” and Pete Seeger‘s “Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There is a Season)“, not to mention their personal creations, “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better“, “Eight Miles High“, “So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star“, “Ballad of Easy Rider” and “Chestnut Mare“.

The Byrds had acquired plenty of pals over their short career and had promising opportunities thereafter.

Some began to work with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Others hooked up with The Desert Rose Band.

In January 1991, The Byrds were welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Fans were able to watch the five original members perform together for the last time. McGuinn, Crosby, and Hillman still remain active; however, Gene Clark died of a heart attack in 1991, and Michael Clarke died of liver failure in 1993.

Their story was soft yet poignant. Conflicted but nostalgic. Somber lending timeless.

The Byrds-”Ballad of Easy Rider”