| The Byrds | |
|---|---|
 The Byrds in 1965 From left to right: David Crosby, Gene Clark, Michael Clarke, Chris Hillman, and Roger McGuinn | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1964–1973 ; 1989–1991 ; 2000 |
| Labels |
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| Website | Template:URL |
| Past members | |
| Roger McGuinn Gene Clark David Crosby Michael Clarke Chris Hillman Kevin Kelley Gram Parsons Clarence White Gene Parsons John York Skip Battin John Paul Jones | |
The Byrds (/bɜːrdz/) were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole consistent member. Although their time as one of the most popular groups in the world only lasted for a short period in the mid-1960s, the Byrds are today considered by critics to be among the most influential rock acts of their era. Their signature blend of clear harmony singing and McGuinn's jangly 12-string Rickenbacker guitar was "absorbed into the vocabulary of rock" and has continued to be influential.
The original five-piece lineup of the band consisted of McGuinn (lead guitar, vocals), Gene Clark (tambourine, vocals), David Crosby (rhythm guitar, vocals), Chris Hillman (bass guitar, vocals), and Michael Clarke (drums). With this lineup Byrds recorded 5D(Fifth Dimension), that is regarded as the best LP of the band. This version of the band was relatively short-lived and by early 1966 Clark had left due to problems associated with anxiety and his increasing isolation within the group. The Byrds continued as a quartet until late 1967, when Crosby and Clarke also departed. McGuinn and Hillman decided to recruit new members, including country rock pioneer Gram Parsons, with whom they recorded "Sweetheart of the Rodeo", that become one of most important albums in the history of Rock. But by late 1968, Hillman and Parsons had also exited the band. McGuinn elected to rebuild the band's membership; between 1968 and 1973, he helmed a new incarnation of the Byrds that featured guitarist Clarence White, among others. McGuinn disbanded the then-current version of the band in early 1973 to make way for a reunion of the original quintet. The Byrds' final album was released in March 1973, with the reunited group disbanding later that year.