The Desert Rose Band was 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 from

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 California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, founded in 1985 by

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 ...

(formerly of the

Byrds The Byrds () 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) being the sole consisten ...

and the

Flying Burrito Brothers The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band formed in 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 ...

), 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 ...

and

John Jorgenson John Richard Jorgenson (born July 6, 1956) is an American musician. Although best known for his guitar work with bands such as the Desert Rose Band and The Hellecasters, he is also proficient on the mandolin, mandocello, Dobro, pedal steel g ...

. The original lineup included Bill Bryson on bass guitar,

JayDee Maness JayDee Maness (born January 4, 1945) is an American pedal steel guitarist who is a veteran session musician in Los Angeles. He is known for his work with Gram Parsons, the Byrds, Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, Ray Stevens, Eric Clapton, the Dese ...

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 ...

, and Steve Duncan on drums. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the band charted several hit singles on the US ''Billboard''

Hot Country Singles & Tracks Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...

charts until disbanding in February 1994.

Formation

The Desert Rose Band was formed in 1985 by frontman

(born December 4, 1944), formerly a member 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 ...

, and co-founder, along with the late

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 ...

of the country-rock band

The Flying Burrito Brothers The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band formed in 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 f ...

. Additional members included

(born July 6, 1956), who was mainly responsible for the instrumental arrangements of the songs, and

(born April 27, 1944), responsible for the vocal arrangements. Jorgenson and Pedersen sang three-part harmony with Hillman. Each Desert Rose Band album featured Pedersen on one lead vocal. Pedal steel player

(born January 4, 1945), drummer Steve Duncan (born July 28, 1953), and bassist Bill Bryson (1946–2017) rounded out the group.

Career

1987-1989: ''The Desert Rose Band'' and ''Running''

Their

eponymous An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...

debut album was issued in 1987 on MCA/

Curb A curb (American English) or kerb (British English) is the edge where a raised sidewalk/pavement or road median/central reservation meets a street/other roadway. History Although curbs have been used throughout modern history, and indeed ...

. It contained their first hit "Ashes of Love", which was originally a Johnnie & Jack song from the early 1950s. It was the second time Hillman and Pedersen recorded "Ashes of Love," the first being on Hillman's just prior album ''Desert Rose'' on the Sugar Hill label. The Desert Rose Band's debut also featured a remake of Chris Hillman's "Time Between" which he previously wrote and recorded as a member of the Byrds, as well as the band's first chart-topper " He's Back and I'm Blue". Their second album ''

Running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion by which humans and other animals move quickly on foot. Running is a gait with an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is in contrast to walkin ...

'' (1988) featured the

John Hiatt John Robert Hiatt (born August 20, 1952) is an American singer-songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including New wave music, new wave, blues, and country music, country. Hiatt has been nominated for nine Gramm ...

-penned hit " She Don't Love Nobody", "Running", and a remake of Buck Owens's "Hello Trouble".

1990-1993: ''Pages of Life'', ''True Love'' and ''Life Goes On''

The third album '' Pages of Life'' (1990) featured a remake of "Desert Rose" as well as a remake of Pedersen's folk song about his daughter "Our Baby's Gone" which was originally recorded on his 1976 album ''Southwest''. JayDee Maness left the band in 1990 and was replaced on pedal steel guitar by

Tom Brumley Thomas Rexton Brumley (December 11, 1935 – February 3, 2009) was an American pedal steel guitarist and steel guitar manufacturer. In the 1960s, Brumley was a part of the sub-genre of country music known as the " Bakersfield sound". He performed ...

whom Jay Dee replaced in the Buckaroos. Maness would again play with Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen on their post Desert Rose Band duo albums ''Bakersfield Bound'' and ''Way Out West''. The fourth studio album, '' True Love'', was released in 1991. It was followed by 1993's '' Life Goes On'', released only in Europe. Several prominent country and bluegrass musicians made guest appearances on ''Life Goes On'' including

Sam Bush Charles Samuel Bush (born April 13, 1952) is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Revival. ...

on fiddle,

Tony Rice David Anthony Rice (June 8, 1951 – December 25, 2020) was an American bluegrass guitarist and singer. He was an influential acoustic guitar player in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and acoustic jazz. He was inducted into the In ...

and Larry Park (of Boy Howdy) on guitar, and Al Perkins on dobro. Before the release of this final studio album, was the 1993 compilation ''Traditional''. John Jorgenson and Steve Duncan left the band in 1991. Jorgenson went on to form the Hellecasters with Will Ray and Jerry Donahue; Duncan also joined the Hellecasters. John Jorgenson is currently playing gypsy jazz with his John Jorgenson Quintette. Chris and Herb recorded an acoustic album called ''The Other Side'' in 2005. They continue to tour as an acoustic duo. Former

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 ...

steel player Tom Brumley played with Joey Riley's band in

Branson, Missouri Branson is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is situated in Taney County, Missouri, Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County, Missouri, Stone County. Branson is in the Ozarks, Ozark Mountain ...

. He died on February 3, 2009.

Awards

The Desert Rose Band was nominated for two Grammy Awards, in the category Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: the debut album ''The Desert Rose Band'' (1987), and the single "She Don't Love Nobody" (1989). The band was a three-time winner of the Band of the Year/Touring Award presented by the Academy of Country Music Association, in 1988, 1989, and 1990. The band earned the Country Music Association's "Horizon Award" in 1989, and was nominated Vocal Group of the Year in 1989 and 1990. Broadcast Music Inc., recognized "One Step Forward" and "Love Reunited" for having achieved the benchmark of ''One Million Broadcast Radio Performances.''

Band members

Final lineup *

– lead vocals, guitars *

– guitars, vocals *

– pedal steel guitar * Tim Grogan – drums, percussion * Jeff Ross – guitars, vocals Former members * Bill Bryson – bass guitar, vocals * Steve Duncan – drums, percussion *

– guitars, vocals *

– pedal steel guitar

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Singles

Music videos

References

External links

CMT.com profilechrishillman.comherbpedersen.comjohnjorgenson.comdrb-fans.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Desert Rose Band, The Country music groups from California American country rock groups MCA Records artists Musical groups established in 1985 Musical groups disestablished in 1994 Progressive country musicians 1985 establishments in California