Flying Burrito Brothers
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The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American
country rock Country rock is a music genre that fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal sty ...
band formed in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, California, in 1968, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, '' The Gilded Palace of Sin''. Although the group is known for its connection to band founders
Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973), known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist. He recorded with the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, and the Flying Bu ...
and
Chris Hillman Christopher Hillman (born December 4, 1944) is an American musician. He was the original bassist of the Byrds. With frequent collaborator Gram Parsons, Hillman was a key figure in the development of country rock, defining the genre through his w ...
(both formerly of
the Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, 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) being the so ...
), the group underwent many personnel changes and has existed in various incarnations. Now officially known as the Burrito Brothers the band continues to perform and record new albums.


Early evolution (1968–1969)

Ian Dunlop and Mickey Gauvin, formerly of Gram Parsons'
International Submarine Band The International Submarine Band (ISB) was a country-rock band formed by Gram Parsons in 1965, while a theology (?) student at Harvard University and John Nuese, a guitar player for local rock group, The Trolls. Nuese is credited with having pe ...
(ISB), founded the original Flying Burrito Brothers and named it after Parsons informed them of his new country focus. This incarnation of the band never recorded as such, and after heading East allowed Gram Parsons to take the name. With the original incarnation of the band out of the picture, the "West Coast" Flying Burrito Brothers were founded in 1968 in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, by
Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973), known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist. He recorded with the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, and the Flying Bu ...
and
Chris Hillman Christopher Hillman (born December 4, 1944) is an American musician. He was the original bassist of the Byrds. With frequent collaborator Gram Parsons, Hillman was a key figure in the development of country rock, defining the genre through his w ...
. Bassist/keyboardist Chris Ethridge (who had played alongside Parsons in the International Submarine Band),
pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a console steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings, enabling more varied and complex music to be played than with other steel guitar designs. Like all steel guitars, it can play ...
ist "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow and session drummer
"Fast" Eddie Hoh Edward Hoh (October 16, 1944 – November 7, 2015) was an American rock drummer who was active in the 1960s. Although primarily a studio session and touring drummer, Hoh exhibited a degree of originality and showmanship that set him apart and s ...
rounded out the lineup.


Classic era (1968-1972)

Though Hillman and
Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (; born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician, best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 as a member of the band. As a so ...
had fired Parsons from the Byrds in July 1968, the bassist and Parsons reconciled later that year after Hillman (who would switch to
rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a guitar technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse (music), pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., d ...
in the new ensemble) left the group. Parsons had refused to join his Byrds bandmates for a tour of
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
, citing his disapproval of the
apartheid Apartheid ( , especially South African English:  , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
policy of that nation's government. Hillman doubted the sincerity of Parsons' gesture, believing instead that the singer merely wanted to remain in England with
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...
and
Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...
of
the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
, whom he had recently befriended. The Flying Burrito Brothers recorded their debut album, '' The Gilded Palace of Sin'' (containing originals by Parsons, Hillman, and Ethridge alongside covers of two songs by the venerable
Southern soul Southern soul or country soul is a type of soul and country music that emerged from the Southern United States. The music originated from a combination of styles, including blues (both 12 bar and jump), country, early R&B, and a strong gospel ...
songwriting duo of
Dan Penn Dan Penn (born Wallace Daniel Pennington, November 16, 1941) is an American songwriter, singer, musician, and record producer, who co-wrote many soul hits of the 1960s, including " The Dark End of the Street" and " Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" ...
and
Chips Moman Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman (June 12, 1937 – June 13, 2016) was an American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is known for working in R&B, pop music and country music, operating American Sound Studios and producing hit albums li ...
), without a regular drummer. Hoh proved to be unable to perform adequately due to a substance abuse problem and was dismissed after recording two songs, leading the group to employ a variety of session players, including former International Submarine Band drummer Jon Corneal (who briefly joined the group as an official member, appearing on a plurality of the tracks) and Popeye Phillips of Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show. Before commencing their first tour, the group ultimately settled upon original Byrd Michael Clarke (who had recently been working with fellow country rock pioneers and Byrds spinoff the Dillard and Clark Expedition) as a permanent replacement. He remained the band's permanent drummer until 1971. Despite widespread critical acclaim upon its release in February 1969 (as exemplified by Stanley Booth's laudatory review in ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' and positive press remarks by
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
) for its pioneering amalgamation of country,
soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...
, and
psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
, ''The Gilded Palace of Sin'' stalled at No. 164 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' album chart. Although the band declined an invitation to perform at
Woodstock The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...
, a comprehensive train tour of the United States (necessitated by Parsons' fear of flying) ultimately ended in disaster due to drug and alcohol use.Documentary film ''Fallen Angel'', directed by Gandulf Hennig, 2004 Dissatisfied by the band's lack of success and unable to fully reconcile his predilection for R&B with the more conservative tastes of Parsons and Hillman, Ethridge departed the group in the autumn of 1969. Hillman reverted to bass after the band hired lead guitarist
Bernie Leadon Bernard Matthew Leadon III ( ; born July 19, 1947) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Eagles, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Prior to the Eagles, he was a member of thr ...
, a Dillard and Clark veteran who had also played with Hillman in the early 1960s bluegrass scene. This iteration of the band performed at the ill-fated
Altamont Free Concert The Altamont Speedway Free Festival was a counterculture rock concert in the United States, held on Saturday, December 6, 1969, at the Altamont Speedway outside of Tracy, California. Approximately 300,000 attended the concert, with some an ...
in December 1969, as documented in the film ''
Gimme Shelter "Gimme Shelter" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by Jagger–Richards, it is the opening track of the band's 1969 album '' Let It Bleed''. The song covers the brutal realities of war, including murder, rape and f ...
''. The audience remained largely peaceful throughout their performance. With mounting debt incurred from the first album and tour and a failed single ("The Train Song," written on the tour and produced by 1950s R&B musicians
Larry Williams Lawrence Eugene Williams (May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, and pianist from New Orleans. He is best known for writing and recording some rock and roll classics from 1957 to ...
and
Johnny "Guitar" Watson John Watson Jr. (February 3, 1935 – May 17, 1996), often known professionally as Johnny "Guitar" Watson, was an American musician. A flamboyant showman and electric guitarist in the style of T-Bone Walker, his recording career spanned 40 year ...
),
A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...
hoped to recoup some of their losses by marketing the Burritos as a straight country group. To this end, manager Jim Dickson instigated a loose session where the band recorded several traditional country staples from their live act (including songs by
Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential figures in country music, he was a central pioneer of the Bakersfield ...
and
Buck Owens Alvis Edgar "Buck" Owens Jr. (August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was the frontman for The Buckaroos, which had 21 No. 1 hits on the ''Billboard'' country music chart. He pioneered what came ...
), contemporary pop covers in a countrified vein (" To Love Somebody", " Lodi", " I Shall Be Released", " Honky Tonk Women"), and Williams's
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
classic " Bony Moronie." This effort was soon scrapped in favor of a second album of originals on an extremely reduced budget. Several of the tracks from the abandoned sessions would eventually see the light of day in 1976 on '' Sleepless Nights'', which also featured outtakes from Parsons's post-Burritos solo career. Released in April 1970, '' Burrito Deluxe'' juxtaposed the band's inability to develop compelling new material (partially exacerbated by Parsons' hedonistic streak; his " Lazy Days" dated from 1967) with prominent covers of the Rolling Stones's hitherto unreleased " Wild Horses," Dylan's "
If You Gotta Go, Go Now "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" (sometimes subtitled "(Or Else You Got to Stay All Night)") is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1964. The first released version was as a single in the US by the UK group the Liverpool Five in July 1965, but this did no ...
" and the Southern gospel standard " Farther Along." Unlike ''Gilded Palace'', the album failed to chart entirely. A month later, Parsons showed up for a band performance only minutes before they were to take the stage. Visibly intoxicated, he began singing songs that differed from what the rest of the band were performing. A furious Hillman (already incensed by the singer's penchant for showing up at $500 concerts in a limousine and increasingly Jagger-influenced showmanship) fired him immediately after the show, to which Parsons responded, "You can't fire me, I'm Gram!" According to Hillman, this incident was merely the final straw; Parsons' desire to hang out with the Rolling Stones rather than focus on his own band's career was also a significant factor, mirroring his 1968 dismissal from the Byrds. Now fronted by Hillman and Leadon, the band appeared in June–July 1970 on the Festival Express rail tour of Canada with
Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and songwriter. One of the most iconic and successful Rock music, rock performers of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and her "electric" ...
, the
Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...
,
the Band The Band was a Canadian-American rock music, rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1957. It consisted of the Canadians Rick Danko (bass, guitar, vocals, fiddle), Garth Hudson (organ, keyboards, accordion, saxophone), Richard Manuel (piano, d ...
, and other notable groups of the era. Parsons would eventually be replaced by guitarist/songwriter Rick Roberts. The new lineup released '' The Flying Burrito Bros'' in June 1971. Like its predecessors, it was not a commercial success, peaking at No. 176 in the United States. Shortly thereafter, Kleinow left to work as a session musician, while Leadon departed to co-found
the Eagles The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles, six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s in ...
.
Al Perkins Al Perkins (born January 18, 1944) is an American guitarist known primarily for his steel guitar work. The Gibson guitar company called Perkins "the world's most influential Dobro player" and began producing an "Al Perkins Signature" Dobro in 2 ...
and Kenny Wertz replaced them for a final tour in autumn of 1971; during these performances, veteran bluegrass musicians Roger Bush (
acoustic bass The acoustic bass guitar (sometimes shortened to acoustic bass or initialized ABG) is a bass instrument with a hollow wooden body similar to, though usually larger than, a steel-string acoustic guitar. Like the traditional electric bass guitar an ...
, vocals) and Byron Berline (
fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...
) of Country Gazette participated as guests during an acoustic interlude. The band released '' Last of the Red Hot Burritos'', a well-received live album culled from the tour, in May 1972. The band dissolved immediately thereafter when Hillman and Perkins joined
Stephen Stills Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and Manassas (band ...
's Manassas. Berline, Bush and Wertz continued with their own band, Country Gazette. Roberts assumed corporate ownership of the band from Hillman in October 1972 and assembled a makeshift lineup to fulfill contractual commitments for some 1973 European live shows. He briefly initiated a solo career before forming
Firefall Firefall is an American soft rock band that formed in Boulder, Colorado, in 1974. It was founded by Rick Roberts (musician), Rick Roberts, former member of the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Jock Bartley, who had been Tommy Bolin's replacement ...
with Clarke. During his summer of 1973 recording sessions, Parsons reduced his heroin use but then overdosed on morphine on September 18, 1973.


Later configurations (1974–present)


1974–1980

As Gram Parsons's influence and fame grew, so did interest in the Flying Burrito Brothers. This newfound popularity led to the release of '' Close Up the Honky Tonks'' in 1974, a double-LP compilation of album tracks, B-sides, and outtakes. Soon after, Kleinow and Ethridge put together a new incarnation of the band. When asked in 1972 about the band continuing without him, Parsons remarked, "The idea'll keep going on. It's not like it's dead or anything. Whether I do it or anybody else does it, it's got to keep going." Frequent Ethridge collaborator and former
Canned Heat Canned Heat is an American blues rock band that was formed in Los Angeles in 1965. The group has been noted for its efforts to promote interest in blues music and its original artists. It was launched by two blues enthusiasts, Alan Wilson and ...
guitarist Joel Scott Hill, longtime country rock fiddle player and guitarist
Gib Guilbeau Floyd August "Gib" Guilbeau (September 26, 1937 – April 12, 2016) was an American Cajun country rock musician and songwriter. As a member of Nashville West, Swampwater, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and later The Burrito Brothers, Guilbeau h ...
and erstwhile Byrd multi-instrumentalist Gene Parsons also joined the group. Augmented by songwriter and session luminary Spooner Oldham from the Dan Penn/
FAME Studios FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises) Studios is a recording studio located at 603 East Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States, an area of northern Alabama known as the Shoals. Though small and distant from the main recording l ...
axis, the band released '' Flying Again'' on
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
in 1975. Dominated by contributions from Guilbeau, Gene Parsons and Penn (including the single "Building Fires," a collaboration between Penn, "
Always on My Mind "Always on My Mind" is a Sentimental ballad, ballad written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James (songwriter), Mark James, first recorded by Brenda Lee and first released by Gwen McCrae (as "You Were Always on My Mind") in Mar ...
" co-writer Johnny Christopher and maverick Memphis musical artist Jim Dickinson), the album was the most commercially successful effort by any iteration of the band, peaking at No. 138 on the ''Billboard'' album chart. Ethridge was replaced by Byrds alumnus Skip Battin for the 1976 album '' Airborne''. However, the lineup continued to evolve for the rest of the 1970s, with the band even releasing an album under the name Sierra while continuing to play shows as the Flying Burrito Brothers. In 1980, they had the first of several minor country hits with a version of
Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential figures in country music, he was a central pioneer of the Bakersfield ...
's "White Line Fever" from their album ''Live in Tokyo'', released the previous year.


1980–2000

The early 1980s were a period of commercial success for the band. Curb Records encouraged the band to change its name and for most of the decade they were known simply as "Burrito Brothers." Gib Guilbeau reconnected with his bandmate from Swampwater, songwriter and guitarist John Beland. The two, initially along with Skip Battin and Sneaky Pete Kleinow, began moving the band's sound to a more radio friendly direction. Finally, the Burrito Brothers began to score well on the country charts. Skip Battin left shortly before the release of '' Hearts on the Line'' in 1981 due to the band's new direction. The album contained two Top 20 country hits, marking the first significant commercial chart success the band ever had. In 1981 they received the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' award for "Best New Crossover Group" from pop to country. The Burrito Brothers continued to work with the top session players in Nashville and Los Angeles, logging an impressive list of singles for Curb Records. In the 1980s they toured Europe, were featured at the Albi Nashville Festival in Albi, France, and performed with
Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and activist. She is considered one of the leading music artists behind the country rock genre in the 1970s and the Americana (music), Americana genre ...
,
Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...
, and
Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music singer and songwriter, considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Lynn, Wynette helped bring a ...
at London's
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
. Also in the early 1980s, the Burrito Brothers were responsible for a campaign that finally saw
Lefty Frizzell William Orville "Lefty" Frizzell (March 31, 1928 – July 19, 1975) was an American country and honky-tonk singer-songwriter. Frizell is known as one of the most influential country music vocal stylists of all time. He has been cited as in ...
inducted into the
Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...
. In 1982, Kleinow, the sole original member, departed prior to the release of '' Sunset Sundown''. In 1984, Beland and Guilbeau retired the Burritos and afforded Kleinow the chance to re-form essentially the late 1970s lineup with Skip Battin and Greg Harris, which continued to tour and release live albums for the rest of the 1980s. In 1991 a lineup consisting of Beland, Guilbeau, Ethridge, Kleinow, and Australian singer Brian Cadd began work on a new album, '' Eye of a Hurricane''. The band went without a regular drummer and used session drummer Ron Tutt, who had previously played with
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
. The band soon parted ways with Ethridge (for the third time) and Cadd. Ethridge was replaced by Larry Patton, and Gary Kubal was added as a full-time drummer. This lineup released ''California Jukebox'' in 1997. At this time Gib Guilbeau and Kleinow stopped working with the group because of health concerns. Kleinow was replaced by Wayne Bridge. In 1999, the band released '' Sons of the Golden West'', which, while receiving solid critical reviews, would prove to be the final album by the Flying Burrito Brothers, as Beland decided to end the band shortly after the turn of the millennium. 2000-2010 Sneaky Pete Kleinow then created a new Burrito project in 2002. This band was called Burrito Deluxe, because Beland still had rights to the original name at that time. This band featured Carlton Moody on lead vocals and
Garth Hudson Eric Garth Hudson (August 2, 1937 – January 21, 2025) was a Canadian multi-instrumentalist best known as the keyboardist and occasional saxophonist for The Band. He was a principal architect of the group's sound and was described as "the mo ...
from the
Band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary * Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania * Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, ...
on keyboards. The first album of this incarnation, '' Georgia Peach'', was conceived as a tribute to Gram Parsons. Kleinow left the band because of illness in 2005, leaving no direct lineage to any of the original 1969–1972 lineup. His final recordings appear on their 2007 album '' Disciples of the Truth''. 2010 to present In 2010, an English record label owner, Del Taylor, attempted to reactivate the band with any previous members he could find. Bernie Leadon, Chris Ethridge, Al Perkins, and Gene Parsons all agreed if Chris Hillman would join. Hillman was not interested in the project and instead took steps to acquire the rights to the name "The Flying Burrito Brothers" so that he could retire the band. In 2011, a new lineup arose which included Walter Egan and Rick Lonow (from the remains of Burrito Deluxe) along with Fred and Chris P James This lineup toured as "The Burritos" and released the album ''Sound As Ever.(SPV Records)'' The album included an unfinished Gram Parsons song which would go on to be a trademark of the Chris James-era albums. After the last members of Burrito Deluxe left, and with no objection from Hillman, (so long as the word flying wasn't used), the band trade marked and reverted to "The Burrito Brothers" and continued to tour and record.Home
Theflyingburritobrothers.net (March 8, 2014). Retrieved on April 18, 2014.
2012: Rusty Russell joins on bass. Band works live dates. 2013: James, James, Lonow and Russell are joined by Tony Paoletta on pedal steel. 2014-16: James, James, Paoletta, Jody Maphis and Peter Young are the working band on live dates. Ronnie Guilbeau and Walter Egan are occasional guests. 2017: Nashville session guitarist, Bob Hatter joins the group after Fred James departs. Hatter has previous history with Chris James in Mr. Hyde (with Boomer Castleman) and The Lost Sideshow (with Rick Lonow and Michael Webb). Bob logged in endless hours with Tony Paoletta and Peter Young (also regular session men). These Burritos work on new material for their next album. 2018: The Burrito Brothers complete the “Still Going Strong” album. They play scattered dates, spending most of the year recording the album at Junction Studio in Madison, TN. Lineup: James, Paoletta, Hatter, John Sturdivant Jr, Larry Marrs, Coley Hinson. 2019: The group is Chris P James, Tony Paoletta, Bob Hatter and Peter Young returns. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of “The Gilded Palace of Sin”, The Burrito Brothers headline Will James' 12th annual Nashville Tribute to Gram Parsons playing the classic LP in its entirety, something no other incarnation of the band had ever done. Guests include: Ronnie Guilbeau, Walter Egan, Michael Curtis, Noah Bellamy, Larry Patton, Pamela Des Barres. The band writes, demos and records material for their next album. It is finished before the year ends. Their representative in England, Bob Boiling, gets them a worldwide deal with SFM Records. 2020: The group continues as Chris P James, Tony Paoletta, Bob Hatter and Peter Young. “The Notorious Burrito Brothers" is released worldwide on 6 March 2020 on CD and all other formats (except vinyl) through ‘Store For Music’ at # SFMCD543in Britain. Ronnie Guilbeau guests. Forward progress is halted due to the global pandemic. All tour dates cancelled. The group begins writing and recording demos for their next album. Bob Hatter is stricken with cancer. The hope is to still record the next album with him via remote equipment brought to his house. This process is greatly hindered by the pandemic. 2021: James, Paoletta, Hatter and Young begin recording the next album. Progress is slow due to Hatter’s condition and the ongoing pandemic. Bob Hatter passes away on August 31. The group halts recording. 2022: Ready to get back into creative work, James, Paoletta and Young enlist the brilliant guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, Steve Allen to complete recording the unfinished album. Tour dates are still on hold (as the pandemic hasn’t subsided). The album, “Together”, is completed. Bob Hatter is listed (one last time, in his honor) as a member of The Burrito Brothers. Steve Allen is credited as a special guest. 2023: James, Paoletta, Young & Allen are The Burrito Brothers. The album “Together” is released on SFM Records (England and worldwide), followed in October by 'Christmas' the band's first ever Christmas album


Legacy

* Gram Parsons embarked on a solo career after being fired by Chris Hillman. He released two solo albums and continued to tour until his death on September 19, 1973. * Chris Hillman remained a successful singer-songwriter, having been part of Manassas (with Burrito Al Perkins), the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band and a partial reunion of The Byrds in McGuinn, Clark & Hillman. In the 1980s, he found commercial success when he formed the Desert Rose Band (1986–93) with
Herb Pedersen Herbert Joseph Pedersen (born April 27, 1944, in Berkeley, California) is an American musician, guitarist, banjo player, singer-songwriter, and actor who has played a variety of musical styles over the past fifty years including country, blueg ...
. He has continued to write, produce and record. * Bernie Leadon went on to help found
The Eagles The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles, six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s in ...
. * Rick Roberts and Michael Clarke formed
Firefall Firefall is an American soft rock band that formed in Boulder, Colorado, in 1974. It was founded by Rick Roberts (musician), Rick Roberts, former member of the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Jock Bartley, who had been Tommy Bolin's replacement ...
with Jock Bartley from Gram Parsons' solo band. They had several radio hits in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Michael Clarke died in 1993. Rick Roberts is mostly retired but occasionally still plays solo shows and has reunited with Firefall on a few occasions. * "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow continued to play with the Burritos off and on until his death in 2007. He is also known outside of the music world as one of the artists behind ''
Gumby Gumby and Pokey figures ''Gumby'' is an American cartoon character and associated media franchise created by Art Clokey. He is a blocky green humanoid made of clay. Gumby stars in two television series, '' Gumby: The Movie'', and other medi ...
'' and for his work on ''
The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic film, epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based o ...
''. * Gib Guilbeau retired following heart surgery and moved to
Palmdale, California Palmdale is a city in northern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city lies in the Antelope Valley of Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains separate Palmdale from the Los Angeles Basin to the south. On August 24, 1962 ...
. He continued to appear occasionally at local functions in and around the Los Angeles area until his death in 2016. His son, Ronnie, occasionally performs with and writes songs for the current Burrito Brothers lineup. *John Beland continues to produce acts in the U.S. and abroad. He achieved hit records in both Australia and Norway before moving to
Brenham, Texas Brenham ( ) is a city in east-central Texas, United States, and the county seat of Washington County, with a population of 17,369 according to the 2020 U.S. census. Brenham is also known for its annual German heritage festival that takes pl ...
, where he has continued to write hits for performers such as the Whites ("Forever You"),
Mark Farner Mark Fredrick Farner (born September 29, 1948) is an American musician. He was the original singer and guitarist of the rock band Grand Funk Railroad, which he co-founded in 1969, and later as a contemporary Christian musician. Early life and ...
("Isn't It Amazing?"), and
the Bellamy Brothers The Bellamy Brothers are an American pop and country music duo from Darby, Florida. The duo consists of brothers David Milton Bellamy (born September 16, 1950) and Homer Howard Bellamy (born February 2, 1946). The duo had considerable musical s ...
("Cowboy Beat", "Hard Way to Make an Easy Living", and "Bound to Explode"). His songs have been covered by many acts, from
Ricky Nelson Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician and actor. From age eight, he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he began a ...
to
Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American Country music, country singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him his immense popularity, particularly in the United States, ...
.


Band members


The Flying Burrito Brothers


Classic era

*
Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973), known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist. He recorded with the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, and the Flying Bu ...
– guitar, piano, vocals (1968–1970) *
Chris Hillman Christopher Hillman (born December 4, 1944) is an American musician. He was the original bassist of the Byrds. With frequent collaborator Gram Parsons, Hillman was a key figure in the development of country rock, defining the genre through his w ...
– guitar, bass, vocals, mandolin (1968–1971) * "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow – pedal steel guitar (1968–1971, 1973, 1974–1981, 1984–1997) * Chris Ethridge – bass (1968–1969, 1974–1976, 1993) *
Eddie Hoh Edward Hoh (October 16, 1944 – November 7, 2015) was an American rock drummer who was active in the 1960s. Although primarily a studio session and touring drummer, Hoh exhibited a degree of originality and showmanship that set him apart and s ...
– drums (1968) * Jon Corneal – drums (1968–1969) * Michael Clarke – drums (1969–1971) *
Bernie Leadon Bernard Matthew Leadon III ( ; born July 19, 1947) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Eagles, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Prior to the Eagles, he was a member of thr ...
– guitar, banjo, vocals (1969–1971) * Rick Roberts – guitar, vocals (1970–1973)


Later members

*
Al Perkins Al Perkins (born January 18, 1944) is an American guitarist known primarily for his steel guitar work. The Gibson guitar company called Perkins "the world's most influential Dobro player" and began producing an "Al Perkins Signature" Dobro in 2 ...
– pedal steel guitar, guitar (1971) * Kenny Wertz – guitar, banjo, vocals (1971–1973) * Roger Bush – bass, upright bass, vocals (1971–1973) * Byron Berline – fiddle (1971–1973) * Alan Munde – banjo (1972–1973) * Don Beck – pedal steel guitar, mandolin (1973) * Eric Dalton – drums (1972–1973) * Joel Scott Hill – guitar, vocals (1974–1977) *
Gib Guilbeau Floyd August "Gib" Guilbeau (September 26, 1937 – April 12, 2016) was an American Cajun country rock musician and songwriter. As a member of Nashville West, Swampwater, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and later The Burrito Brothers, Guilbeau h ...
– guitar, fiddle, vocals (1974–1984, 1986–1997) * Gene Parsons – drums, vocals, guitar (1974–1976, 1978, 1979) * Skip Battin – bass, vocals (1976, 1978–1980, 1984–1986) * Thad Maxwell – bass, vocals (1976–1977, 1989) * Ed Ponder – drums (1976, 1978) * Mickey McGee – drums, vocals (1976–1978, 1979–1980) * Bobby Cochran – guitar, vocals (1977) * Robb Strandlund – guitar, vocals (1978) * Greg Harris – guitar, banjo, fiddle, vocals (1978–1979, 1984–1986, 1994) * John Beland – guitar, vocals (1979–1984, 1986–1987, 1989–2000) * Jim Goodall – drums (1984–1989, 1994) * David Vaught – bass (1986–1987, 1994) * Larry Patton – bass, vocals (1989–1990, 1996–2000) * Rick Lonow – drums (1989–1990, 1990–1994) * George Grantham – drums (1990) * Gary Kubal – drums (1990, 1994-2000) * Brian Cadd – keyboards, vocals (1991–1996) * Larry Gadler - bass (1993-1994) * Wayne Bridge – pedal steel guitar (1997–2000)


The Flying Burrito Brothers (East)

* Barry Tashian - guitar, vocals (1967-1969) * Billy Briggs - keyboards (1967-1969) * Ian Dunlop - bass (1967-1969) * Mickey Gauvin - drums (1967-1969)


Burrito Deluxe

* Carlton Moody – guitar, vocals (2002–2009) * "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow – pedal steel guitar (2002–2005) * Bobby Cochran – guitar, vocals (2002–2004) * Willie Watson – guitar, vocals (2002) * Tommy Spurlock – bass, vocals (2002) * Jeff "Stick" Davis – bass (2002–2006) * Rick Lonow – drums (2002–2005, 2009) *
Garth Hudson Eric Garth Hudson (August 2, 1937 – January 21, 2025) was a Canadian multi-instrumentalist best known as the keyboardist and occasional saxophonist for The Band. He was a principal architect of the group's sound and was described as "the mo ...
– keyboards (2002–2005) * Richard Bell – keyboards (2005–2006) * Bryan Ownings – drums (2005–2007) * Supe Granda – bass (2006–2009) * Walter Egan – guitar, vocals (2006–2009)


The Burrito Brothers


Current

* Chris James – keyboards, vocals (2010–present) * Tony Paoletta – pedal steel guitar (2013–present) * Peter Young – drums (2015–2016, 2019–present) * Steve Allen - guitars, vocals (2022–present)


Former

* Fred James – guitar, vocals, pedal steel guitar (2010–2017) * Walter Egan – guitar, vocals (2010–2012) * Bob Hatter - guitar, vocals (2017–2021) * Rusty Russell – bass (2012–2015) * Jody Maphis – bass, vocals (2015–2017) * Rick Lonow – drums (2010–2015) * John Sturdivant Jr. – drums (2016–2018)


Timeline


Discography


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Flying Burrito Brothers American country rock groups Musical groups established in 1968 Musical groups disestablished in 1972 Musical groups reestablished in 1975 A&M Records artists Musical groups from Los Angeles Columbia Records artists Musical quintets from California Progressive country musicians Relix Records artists