The Byrds Original Band Members Then And Now

The Byrds Original Band Members are James Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, Micheal Clarke, and Chriss Hillman.

James Roger McGuinn

Roger McGuinn was the lead vocalist and the founding member of The Byrds known for playing the 12-string Rickenbacker guitar.

After the disbandment of the Byrds, Mcguinn released multiple solo albums and was eventually inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He is currently a registered member of the Republican Party and refused to support Donald Trump in 2015 and endorsed Florida Amendment 2 in 2016.

Gene Clark

Born Harold Eugene Clark, Gene was an American singer and songwriter known for his time in the folk-rock band The Byrds.

He was also the founding member of the band and served as a vocalist and also played tambourine until his departure in 1966.

He was the primary songwriter for the band between 1964 and 1966, penning some of the band's best songs.

Following his split, the artist was signed by Colombia Records as a solo artist but he never managed to achieve commercial success.

David Crosby

David Van Cortlandt Crosby was the rhythm guitarist and vocalist for The Byrds. He helped pioneer the folk-rock and psychedelia genre in his era.

After Crosby's departure from Byrds, he joined Crosby Stills & Nash and later worked as an independent artist during which he released 8 solo albums.

The singer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two times for his contribution to The Byrds and Crosby & Nash.

Micheal Clarke

Born as Micheal James Dick, he was an American musician, widely known for his role as a drummer for The Byrds from 1964 to 1967.

Following his hiatus, Clarke got into the hotel business before chasing his interest in art.

Eventually, he made a comeback into the music scene playing alongside his former teammate Gene in Dillard and Clark.

Chriss Hillman

Christopher Hillman is an American musician known prominently as the bassist of The Byrds. He was in the band from 1964 till late 1968.

After leaving the band due to financial issues, the artist held hands with Gram Parsons to create the Flying Burrito Brothers and continued to pioneer country rock.

Hillman was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 for his contribution to the Byrds.

The Byrds members ages are Roger McGuinn (80) and Chriss Hillman (78). The rest of the original members have passed away.

McGuinn was born on July 13, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois to parents Joseph McGuinn Jr and Dorothy Irene. He is 80 years old.

Born on December 4, 1944, Hillman was raised in Los Angeles, California. Currently, he is 78 years old.

Gene Clark was born on November 17, 1944, in Tipton, Missouri to a family of Irish, German, and Native American descent. He died at the age of 46 on May 24, 1991.

Likewise, David Crosby was born in Los Angeles, California on August 14, 1941. He lived a relatively long life and recently died at the age of 81 on January 18, 2023.

Gene Clark was born on June 3, 1946, in Spokane, Washington. His health gradually declined as he suffered from heavy alcohol abuse and eventually died of liver failure at the age of 47.

The Byrds Full Album in chronological order includes 1. Mr. Tambourine Man 2. Turn! Turn! Turn! 3. Fifth Dimension and nine more.

Throughout the duration of 8 years, the band released 12 studio albums from 1965 to 1973 with much of the albums being released through Columbia Records with an exception for the final self-titled studio album Byrds.

The original five released two studio albums together before Gene Clark eventually parted ways. The core four then released two more studio albums after which the band started to disintegrate.

The Byrds hasn't been on any tour since the band disbanded in 1973. Their last performance was on 8 August 2000 at Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica.

The Santa Monica concert was the band's third and last-ever reunion to deliver an impromptu performance for Fred Walecki. It featured three core members from the original roster.

The band made their debut tour on March 1, 1965, at Ciro's Los Angeles, California following the promotion of their freshly released debut album Mr. Tambourine Man.

Since then the band has gone on multiple tours and performed live at 341 concerts until the mid-2000s with multiple roster changes.

On 16th January 1991, the core five members put their differences aside to perform in their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York.

It was the first time the original five came together since the 1973 promotion tour, but it would also be the last time they were seen performing together.

However, some former members continued to tour under their own name or with other bands after The Byrds got dissolved.

Although the majority of the 1960s band members have passed away, frontman Roger Mcguinn is lively still making headlines with his tours.

Roger will be performing and concert at The Cameo Theatre in Bristol on 10th May 2023, followed by another concert at Cincinnati Memorial Hall on 18th of May.

On the other hand, former bassist and vocalist, Chris Hillman, went on his last tour on 2nd October 2022, at the CMA theatre in Nashville. As per his official website, the 78-year-old hasn't planned any upcoming tours in 2023.