This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (April 2010)

Bernard Mathew "Bernie" Leadon, III (born July 19, 1947, in Minneapolis, Minnesota), is an American musician and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Prior to the Eagles, he was a member of two pioneering and highly influential country rock bands, Dillard & Clark and the Flying Burrito Brothers. He is a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, banjo, mandolin, steel guitar, dobro) coming from a bluegrass background. He introduced elements of this music to a mainstream audience during his tenure with the Eagles.

Leadon's music career since leaving the Eagles has been decidedly low-key, resulting in merely two solo albums with a gap of 27 years in between. Leadon is, however, a noted session musician who has appeared as a guest on many other artists' records.

Early career[link]

Leadon (pronounced "led-un") was born in Minneapolis, to Dr. Bernard Leadon, Jr. and Ann Teresa Sweetser Leadon, devout Catholic parents of ten children. His father was an aerospace engineer whose career moved the family around the U.S. The family enjoyed music, and at an early age, young Bernie developed a keen interest in folk and bluegrass music. He eventually mastered the 5-string banjo, mandolin and acoustic guitar respectively.

As a young teen he moved with his family to San Diego, where he met fellow musicians Ed Douglas and Larry Murray of the local bluegrass outfit, The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers. The Barkers would prove a breeding ground for future California country rock talent, including a shy, 18-year-old mandolin player by the name of Chris Hillman (The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, The Desert Rose Band) with whom Leadon would have a life-long friendship. Augmented by the banjo player^[who?], and later Flying Burrito Brother Kenny Wertz, the Squirrel Barkers would eventually ask Leadon to join the group upon Wertz's joining the Air Force in 1963.

His stint in the Scottsville Squirrel Barkers did not last long. In late 1964, his family once again relocated to Gainesville, Florida, when his father accepted a position as Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida. Leadon attended Gainesville High School, where he met classmate and future Eagles guitarist Don Felder. Felder's band, the Continentals, had just lost guitarist and future Buffalo Springfield & CSNY superstar Stephen Stills. Upon Leadon's joining the group, rechristened Maundy Quintet, they gigged locally, even sharing the bill with future Gainesville legend Tom Petty and his early band the Epics (a band that also included Bernie's brother, musician Tom Leadon).

A call from ex-Squirrel Barker Larry Murray in 1967 to join his fledgling psychedelic country-folk group, Hearts & Flowers, was enticement enough for Leadon to move to California, where he quickly fell in with the burgeoning L.A. folk/country rock scene. Leadon recorded one album with the band: their sophomore effort, Of Horses, Kids, and Forgotten Women for Capitol Records. The record was a local hit but failed to make much of a dent on the national album charts. Discouraged, the group disbanded in 1968.

By late 1968 Leadon had befriended bluegrass/banjo legend Doug Dillard, late of the Dillards. While crashing at Dillard's pad, informal jam sessions with prolific songwriter and ex-Byrds member Gene Clark began to take shape and morphed into what would become Dillard & Clark, a seminal country-rock band who would lay the groundwork for the country-rock sound that would dominate the L.A. music scene for the next decade. In 1968, the group recorded their classic and highly influential LP, The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark. The album featured Leadon's warm and distinctive backing vocals and impressive multi-instrumental work. The album's highlights include several compositions co-written with Clark, most notably the future Eagles staple (and somewhat of a signature song for Leadon) from their debut album, "Train Leaves Here This Morning".

Leadon left Dillard & Clark in 1969, eventually reconnecting with ex-Squirrel Barker (and ex-Byrd) Chris Hillman, who asked him to join his fledgling country-rock outfit, The Flying Burrito Brothers, a band that Hillman had formed a year earlier with fellow ex-Byrd, Gram Parsons. Leadon would record two albums with the group: Burrito Deluxe and the post-Parsons LP, The Flying Burrito Bros. After the latter album's release in 1971, Leadon had tired of the band's lack of commercial success and decided to leave the band to pursue an opportunity to play with three musicians he had gelled with while moonlighting in Linda Rondstadt's backing band that summer. He would strike paydirt with this next band, the Eagles, which would launch his career and the country-rock genre into the stratosphere.

Eagles[link]

Leadon was the last member to join the Eagles, a band initially formed by guitarist/singer Glenn Frey, drummer/singer Don Henley, and former Poco bassist/singer Randy Meisner. Leadon is often credited with helping shape the band's early country-rock sound, bringing his strong sense of harmony as well as his country, bluegrass and acoustic sensibilities to the group.

Upon the release of their debut album, Eagles, the group met with near instantaneous success, due largely to the strength of their hit singles, "Take It Easy", "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and "Witchy Woman" (co-written by Leadon and Henley), all of which highlighted Leadon's multi-instrumental talent on electric guitar, B-Bender, banjo, and harmony vocals. Their follow-up, Desperado, was another strong country-rock venture highlighted by the classics "Tequila Sunrise" and the title track, but was met by surprisingly lukewarm reviews and lackluster sales. As a result, the band attempted to distance itself from the "country rock" label for their third album On the Border. In doing so, Leadon encouraged the group to recruit his old friend, guitarist Don Felder, to the band. The result was the guitar-heavy top ten hit "Already Gone". The album also included "My Man", Leadon's touching tribute to his old bandmate and friend, Gram Parsons, who had died of a drug overdose the year prior at Joshua Tree National Park in southeastern California.

With the wild success of On the Border and its follow-up smash, One of These Nights, tension within the band grew, as Leadon grew increasingly frustrated by the band's direction away from his beloved country and bluegrass and toward AOR stadium rock. He famously quit the band in 1975 by pouring a beer over Glenn Frey's head.^[1] He later cited a need to get healthy and break the vicious cycle of touring, recording and heavy drug use that was rampant within the band.

Upon his departure, Asylum Records released Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975), which highlighted the band's Leadon years and went on to become the biggest-selling greatest hits album of all time, selling over 42 million units. He was replaced by former James Gang guitarist/singer, Joe Walsh.

Later career[link]

Upon leaving the Eagles, Leadon retreated from the limelight, only to resurface in 1977 with musician friend Michael Georgiades for his first solo album, Natural Progressions.

In 1985, he recorded an album of bluegrass and gospel favorites under the name Ever Call Ready, featuring Chris Hillman and Al Perkins, and also had a short stint with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in the late 1980s. In 1993, he became a member of Run C&W, a novelty group singing Motown hits "bluegrass style", recording two albums for MCA Records. In 1998, Leadon reunited with the Eagles in New York City for the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. All seven current and former Eagles members performed together on "Take It Easy," and "Hotel California". In 2004, he released his second solo effort in 27 years, Mirror.

He currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee, where he is a well-regarded and well-respected session musician and producer, considered by many as one of the early pioneers of the country-rock genre.

Eagles songs[link]

Eagles songs written or co-written by Bernie Leadon[link]

• "Train Leaves Here This Morning" from Eagles (co-written with Gene Clark)
• "Earlybird" from Eagles (co-written with Randy Meisner)
• "Witchy Woman" from Eagles (co-written with Don Henley)
• "Twenty-One" from Desperado
• "Bitter Creek" from Desperado
• "Saturday Night" from Desperado (co-written with Meisner, Henley, and Glenn Frey)
• "My Man" from On the Border
• "On The Border" from On the Border (co-written with Henley/Frey)
• "Hollywood Waltz" from One of These Nights (co-written with brother Tom Leadon and Henley/Frey)
• "Journey Of The Sorcerer" from One of These Nights. This piece was used as the theme music for the radio, television and film versions of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
• "I Wish You Peace" from One of These Nights (co-written with Patti Davis)

Eagles songs with Bernie Leadon on lead vocals[link]

• "Train Leaves Here This Morning" from Eagles
• "Earlybird" from Eagles
• "Twenty-One" from Desperado
• "Bitter Creek" from Desperado
• "My Man" from On the Border
• "On the Border" (co-lead vocal in the bridge ["Never mind your face, just show us your card"]) from On the Border
• "I Wish You Peace" from One of These Nights

References[link]

Sources[link]

• Elliot, Marc (1998). To the Limit: The Untold Story of the Eagles. Little, Brown. ISBN 978-0-316-23370-5. 
• Einarson, John (2001). Desperados: The Roots of Country Rock. Cooper Square Press. ISBN 978-0-8154-1065-2. 
• Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. Backbeat books. ISBN 0-87930-793-5. 
• Felder, Don with Holden, Wendy (2008). Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974-2001). Wiley. ISBN 978-0-470-28906-8. 
• Einarson, John with Hillman, Chris (2008). Hot Burritos: The True Story of The Flying Burrito Brothers. Jawbone Press. ISBN 1-906002-16-9. 

External links[link]

• Unofficial Bernie Leadon fan website
• The Complete Hearts and Flowers Liner Notes
• The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers
• Rock of Ages' Bernie Leadon Interview

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (November 2008)

Chris Hillman
Chris Hillman performing in 2004
Background information
Birth name	Christopher Hillman
Born	(1944-12-04) December 4, 1944 (age 67) Los Angeles, California
Genres	Folk, bluegrass, folk rock, rock, country rock, country
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Bass guitar, mandolin, guitar, vocals
Years active	1960-present
Labels	Columbia, Sugar Hill, Asylum, A&M, Rounder
Associated acts	Scottsville Squirrel Barkers, The Hillmen, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas, Souther Hillman Furay Band, McGuinn, Clark and Hillman, Desert Rose Band, Herb Pedersen, Tony Rice, Larry Rice, Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen
Website	www.chrishillman.com

Christopher "Chris" Hillman (born December 4, 1944 in Los Angeles, California) was one of the original members of The Byrds, which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby and Michael Clarke. With frequent collaborator Gram Parsons Hillman was a key figure in the development of country rock, defining the genre through his work with The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers and the country-rock group Desert Rose Band.

Early years[link]

Hillman, the third of four children,^[1] spent his early years at his family's ranch home in rural northern San Diego County, approximately 110 miles (180 km) from Los Angeles. He has credited his older sister with exciting his interest in country and folk music when she returned from college during the late 1950s with folk music records by The New Lost City Ramblers and others. Hillman soon began watching many of the country-music shows on local television in southern California at the time such as Town Hall Party, The Spade Cooley Show and Cal's Corral. Hillman's mother encouraged his musical interests and bought him his first guitar; shortly thereafter he developed an interest in bluegrass, particularly the mandolin. At age 15 Hillman went to Los Angeles to see the Kentucky Colonels bluegrass band at the Ash Grove, and later convinced his family to allow him to travel by train to Berkeley for lessons from mandolinist Scott Hambly. Around this time, Hillman's father died.

He became known in San Diego's folk music community as a solid player; this won him an invitation to join his first band, the Scottsville Squirrel Barkers. The band lasted barely two years, only recording one album (Blue Grass Favorites, which was distributed in supermarkets); however, it has a posthumous reputation as the spawning ground for a number of musicians who went on to play in the Eagles, the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Byrds, Hearts & Flowers, and the Country Gazette. When the band broke up in late 1963 Hillman received an invitation to join the Golden State Boys, regarded as the top bluegrass band in southern California and featuring future country star Vern Gosdin, his brother Rex and banjoist Don Parmley (later of the Bluegrass Cardinals). Shortly thereafter the band changed its name to The Hillmen; soon Hillman was appearing regularly on television and using a fictitious ID, "Chris Hardin", to allow the underage musician into the country bars where many of his gigs were played. When the Hillmen folded, he briefly joined a spinoff of Randy Sparks' New Christy Minstrels known as the Green Grass Revival.

The Byrds[link]

At this point a frustrated Hillman considered quitting music and enrolling at UCLA when he received an offer from The Hillmen's former manager and producer, Jim Dickson, to join Jim (later Roger) McGuinn, David Crosby, Gene Clark and Michael Clarke in a new band, The Byrds. Hillman was recruited to play bass guitar, although he had never picked up the instrument before. Thanks to his bluegrass background, he quickly developed his own melodic style on the instrument. The Byrds' first single, a jangly cover of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man", was an international hit and marked the birth of folk rock. During the mid-1960s the Byrds ranked as one of the most successful and influential American pop groups; they recorded a string of hits, including "Turn! Turn! Turn!", "Eight Miles High" and "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star".

Hillman kept a low profile on the band's first two albums, on which McGuinn and Clark shared lead vocals with Crosby adding high harmony. However, Clark's departure in 1966 and Crosby's growing restlessness allowed Hillman the opportunity to develop as a singer and songwriter in the group. He came into his own on the Byrds' 1967 album Younger Than Yesterday, co-writing and sharing lead vocals with McGuinn on the hit "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star". Hillman also wrote (and sang) the minor hit "Have You Seen Her Face", "Thoughts and Words", "Time Between" and "The Girl with No Name", the latter two demonstrating his bluegrass and country roots. Hillman's prominence continued with the Byrds' next album, The Notorious Byrd Brothers, on which he shared songwriting credit on seven of the album's eleven songs.

Pioneering country rock[link]

Internal strife dogged the Byrds, and by the beginning of 1968 the band was down to two original members (Hillman and McGuinn), with Hillman's cousin Kevin Kelley on drums. They then hired Gram Parsons to replace Crosby. Hillman and Parsons changed the Byrds' musical direction, helping to usher in a new genre known as country rock when they recorded the album Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Once again Hillman seemed to recede into the background, leaving most of the vocals to Parsons and McGuinn and concentrating on bass and mandolin. Parsons left the band shortly thereafter; Hillman brought in former Kentucky Colonels guitarist Clarence White as a replacement, but this lineup was short-lived when Hillman himself left a few weeks later.

The Flying Burrito Brothers[link]

Hillman teamed with Parsons again (this time as vocalist, guitarist and songwriter) to form the Flying Burrito Brothers. Further honing their pioneering country-rock hybrid sound by combining the energy, instrumentation and attitude of rock and roll with the issues and themes of country music, the Burritos recorded the landmark The Gilded Palace of Sin followed by 1970's Burrito Deluxe. Parsons was out of the lineup by June 1970 (replaced by future Eagles guitarist Bernie Leadon) when the band toured Canada as part of the Festival Express tour, with Hillman reverting to bass guitar. Hillman stayed with the band for two less-successful records, bringing in the Byrds' Michael Clarke and future Firefall singer Rick Roberts for another short-lived lineup.

1970s[link]

Before the Flying Burrito Brothers disbanded, Hillman joined Stephen Stills' band Manassas; he remained with Manasses until 1973, when he briefly rejoined the original lineup of the Byrds for a reunion album on Asylum Records. In 1974, Hillman teamed with singer-songwriter Richie Furay (who co-founded Buffalo Springfield and Poco) and songwriter J. D. Souther (who co-wrote much of the Eagles' early repertoire) in the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band. The trio never quite gelled, and broke up in 1975 after two albums and internal squabbles.

Hillman released two solo albums, Slippin' Away and Clear Sailin', which included several songs co-written with Crawdaddy magazine editor Peter Knobler. One of their songs, "Step on Out," was recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys on their 1985 album and became the title cut. He was also an in-demand studio musician, playing and singing on sessions for Gene Clark, Dillard & Clark, Poco, Dan Fogelberg and others. After an early 1977 British tour reunited him with Roger McGuinn and Gene Clark, the trio stayed together for two McGuinn-Clark-Hillman albums (on which Hillman continued his songwriting collaboration with Knobler) and one under the McGuinn-Hillman name, with a hit single in 1979's "Don't You Write Her Off".

Desert Rose Band[link]

By the early 1980s Hillman had returned to his bluegrass and country roots, recording two acclaimed (mainly acoustic) albums for Sugar Hill Records with singer/guitarist/banjo player Herb Pedersen (a former member of The Dillards). Soon after, Hillman and Pedersen formed the Desert Rose Band; this proved to be Hillman's most commercially-successful post-Byrds project. Their first LP, an eponymously titled 1987 outing, generated two Top Ten country hits in "Love Reunited" (written with Steve Hill), "One Step Forward" and the number-one single "He's Back and I'm Blue." From 1987 until late 1993 the band recorded seven albums and had a string of 16 country-music hits (the majority of which were in the country Top Ten) and a number of Academy of Country Music awards before disbanding in 1994. As Hillman said, "We definitely quit while we were ahead."

The Desert Rose Band reunited when John Jorgenson performed with Hillman, Herb Pederson, Jay Dee Maness and Bill Bryson on May 2, 2008 at the Station Inn in Nashville. This lineup is the best known, and includes all of the original members present on the hit albums from the 1980s. At this show, Hillman said it was the first time they had played together in 19 years. They went through a string of DRB hits but were unable to play "He's Back and I'm Blue" because Hillman said he had forgotten the words. This sold-out show prompted Hillman and the band to play a handful of other reunion shows at clubs and music festivals throughout the U.S. Several of these were recorded for inclusion on a live album, which Hillman hopes to release in the U.S. and Europe. If released, this will be the Desert Rose Band's only live album.

1990s and beyond[link]

At the peak of the Desert Rose Band's success, Hillman began appearing infrequently with McGuinn. A duet recorded by the pair for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Will The Circle Be Unbroken Vol. II album, "You Ain't Going Nowhere", reached the Country Top 10 in 1989. Soon the pair joined Crosby in a reformed Byrds, playing a handful of club dates. In 1990 they appeared at a tribute to Roy Orbison, performing "Mr. Tambourine Man" with the song's composer Bob Dylan. That same year the Byrds cut four new songs for inclusion in a career-spanning box set, and in 1991 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1996 Hillman reunited with Desert Rose Band alumnus Herb Pederson for the CD Bakersfield Bound. Like a Hurricane (1998) and three bluegrass-flavored releases on Rounder Records with Pedersen, Larry Rice and Tony Rice followed. He appeared on the 1999 album Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons in a duet with Steve Earle on "High Fashion Queen" (which Hillman wrote with Parsons). After a brief hiatus Hillman and Pedersen returned with Way Out West (2002), a 17-track collection of country, roots rock and Americana; this was followed by The Other Side (2005). In 2005 he also performed "Crazy from the Heart" on the Bellamy Brothers' album, Angels and Outlaws, Vol. 1.

As of early 2010 Hillman has been "recovering from extensive spinal surgery, and hopes to be back touring soon", according to his wife Connie.

Discography[link]

• The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers Blue Grass Favorites Crown Records (1962)
• The Hillmen The Hillmen (1969) Together Records

Contains material recorded in 1963-64. Reissued in 1981 and 1995 on Sugar Hill

The Byrds[link]

• Mr. Tambourine Man (1965) Columbia
• Turn! Turn! Turn! (1965) Columbia
• Fifth Dimension (1966) Columbia
• Younger Than Yesterday (1967) Columbia
• The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968) Columbia
• Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968) Columbia
• Byrds (1973) Asylum

The Flying Burrito Brothers[link]

• The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969) A&M
• Burrito Deluxe (1970) A&M
• The Flying Burrito Brothers (1971) A&M
• Last of the Red Hot Burritos (1972) A&M
• Close Up the Honky Tonks (1974) A&M
• Honky Tonk Heaven (1974) Ariola
• Sleepless Nights (1976) A&M
• Farther Along (1988) A&M
• Dim Lights, Thick Smoke, and Loud, Loud Music (1987) Edsel
• Out of the Blue (1996) A&M

Manassas[link]

• Manassas (1972) Atlantic
• Down the Road (1973) Atlantic
• Pieces (2009) Rhino

The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band[link]

• The Souther Hillman Furay Band (1974) Asylum
• Trouble in Paradise (1975) Asylum

McGuinn, Clark & Hillman[link]

• McGuinn, Clark & Hillman (1979) Capitol
• City (1980) Capitol
• Return Flight I (1992) Edsel
• Return Flight II (1993) Edsel
• Three Byrds Land in London (1997) Windsong
• The Capitol Collection (2007) Capitol

McGuinn/Hillman[link]

• McGuinn / Hillman (1981) Capitol

Ever Call Ready[link]

• Ever Call Ready (1985) Maranatha! Music

The Desert Rose Band[link]

• The Desert Rose Band (1987) Curb/MCA
• Running (1988) Curb/MCA
• Pages of Life (1990) Curb/MCA
• A Dozen Roses – Greatest Hits (1991) Curb/MCA
• True Love (1991) Curb/MCA
• Traditional (1992) Curb/MCA
• Life Goes On (1993) Curb
• Live at Nevada County Fairgrounds with Emmylou Harris (8-03-1986) Bootleg C

Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen[link]

• Bakersfield Bound (1996) Sugar Hill
• Way Out West (2003) Back Porch Records
• At Edwards Barn (2010) Rounder Records

Larry Rice, Tony Rice, Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen[link]

• Out of the Woodwork (1997) Rounder
• Rice, Rice, Hillman & Pedersen (1999) Rounder Records
• Running Wild (2001) Rounder Records

Solo artist[link]

• Slippin' Away (1976) Asylum
• Clear Sailin' (1977) Asylum
• Morning Sky (1982) Sugar Hill
• Desert Rose (1984) Sugar Hill
• Like a Hurricane (1998) Sugar Hill
• The Other Side (2005) Sovereign Records