Born on this day in 1944, Chris Hillman, one of the original members of The Byrds which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Michael Clarke. Along with frequent collaborator Gram Parsons, Hillman was a key figure in the development of country rock, virtually defining the genre through his seminal work in The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers and later became the leader of the country rock act Desert Rose Band who had the 1988 US Country #1 hit “He’s Back and I’m Blue.”