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The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American
country rock Country rock is a genre of music which 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 ...
band, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, ''
The Gilded Palace of Sin ''The Gilded Palace of Sin'' is the first album by the country rock group the Flying Burrito Brothers, released on February 6, 1969. It continued Gram Parsons' and Chris Hillman's work in modern country music, fusing traditional sources like f ...
''. Although the group is perhaps best known for its connection to band founders
Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973) who was known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist who recorded as a solo artist and with the International Submarine Band, ...
and Chris Hillman (both 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) remaining the sole con ...
), the group underwent many personnel changes and has existed in various incarnations. A lineup with no original members (and derived from the 2000s-era Burrito Deluxe) currently performs as The Burrito Brothers.


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 persu ...
(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 ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
by
Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973) who was known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist who recorded as a solo artist and with the International Submarine Band, ...
and Chris Hillman. Bassist/keyboardist Chris Ethridge (who had played alongside Parsons in the
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 persu ...
),
pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all steel guitars, it can ...
ist
"Sneaky" Pete Kleinow Peter E. "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow (August 20, 1934 – January 6, 2007) was an American country-rock musician. He is best known as a member of the band The Flying Burrito Brothers and as a session musician playing pedal steel guitar for such arti ...
and session drummer "Fast" Eddie Hoh 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. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...
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 technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...
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 southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
, citing his disapproval of the
apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
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 singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...
and
Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...
of the
Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
, whom he had recently befriended. The Flying Burrito Brothers recorded their debut album, ''
The Gilded Palace of Sin ''The Gilded Palace of Sin'' is the first album by the country rock group the Flying Burrito Brothers, released on February 6, 1969. It continued Gram Parsons' and Chris Hillman's work in modern country music, fusing traditional sources like f ...
'' (containing originals by Parsons, Hillman, and Ethridge and covers of two songs by the songwriting duo Dan Penn 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 an incipient 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. Critically acclaimed 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. It was first known for its ...
'' and positive press remarks by
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
) for its pioneering amalgamation of country,
soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became ...
, and
psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound effects and recording te ...
, ''The Gilded Palace of Sin'' managed to peak at only #164 in ''
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 adverti ...
''. Although the band declined an invitation to perform at
Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aq ...
, 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 and groove-based music 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, 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 Livermore, California. Approximately 300,000 attended the concert, and some a ...
in December 1969, as documented in the film '' Gimme Shelter''. 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 legends Larry Williams and
Johnny "Guitar" Watson John Watson Jr. (February 3, 1935 – May 17, 1996), known professionally as Johnny "Guitar" Watson, was an American musician and singer-songwriter. A flamboyant showman and electric guitarist in the style of T-Bone Walker, his recording caree ...
),
A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...
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 country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...
and
Buck Owens Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. (August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006), known professionally as Buck Owens, was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and band leader. He was the lead singer for Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, which had 21 No. 1 hits on ...
), contemporary pop covers in a countrified vein (" To Love Somebody", " Lodi", "
I Shall Be Released "I Shall Be Released" is a 1967 song written by Bob Dylan. Dylan recorded two primary versions. The first recording was made in collaboration with the Band during the Basement Tapes sessions in 1967, and released on '' The Bootleg Series Volu ...
", " Honky Tonk Women"), and Williams's
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...
classic "
Bony Moronie "Bony Moronie" was the third single by Larry Williams, released in 1957. Original version Williams' original peaked at #14 on the Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart and #4 on the U.S. R&B chart. Since then the song has been covered many ...
." 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 Wild horse (''Equus ferus'') is a species of the genus ''Equus'' that includes domesticated and undomesticated subspecies. * Przewalski's wild horse (''Equus ferus przewalskii'' or ''Equus przewalskii''), a rare and endangered subspecies of wild ...
," Dylan's " If You Gotta Go, Go Now" and the
Southern gospel Southern gospel music is a genre of Christian music. Its name comes from its origins in the southeastern United States. Its lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as ...
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 musician. One of the most successful and widely known rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage presence. ...
, the
Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, ...
, The Band, 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 #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 and 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 ...
. Al Perkins and Kenny Wertz replaced them for a final tour in autumn of 1971; during these performances, veteran bluegrass musicians Roger Bush ( acoustic bass, vocals) and Byron Berline (
fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, the ...
) 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 and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As both a solo act and member of two successful bands, Stills has co ...
'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 with Clarke.


Later configurations (1974–present)


1974–1980

As 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 ''Close Up the Honky-Tonks'' is a compilation double- LP by country rock band The Flying Burrito Brothers, which was released in 1974. By this time, the Flying Burrito Brothers no longer existed, having been dissolved by Rick Roberts in 1973. ...
'' 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 guitarist Joel Scott Hill, longtime country rock fiddle player and guitarist Gib Guilbeau 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, an area of northern Alabama known as the Shoals. Though small and distant from the main recording locations of the ...
axis, the band released '' Flying Again'' on
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...
later that year. Dominated by contributions from Guilbeau, Parsons and Penn (including the single "Building Fires," a collaboration between Penn, " Always on My Mind" co-writer
Johnny Christopher John (“Johnny”) Lee Christopher Jr. (born 1943 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American singer, guitarist, session musician and songwriter. Music career Christopher's singles included "(She's A) Girl Of Many Colors / The Teacher And The Pet" (19 ...
and maverick Memphis legend Jim Dickinson), the album was the most commercially successful effort by any iteration of the band, peaking at #138 on the ''Billboard'' album chart. Ethridge was replaced by Byrds alumnus Skip Battin for the 1976 album ''
Airborne Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...
''. 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 country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...
'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 adverti ...
'' 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 Albi (; oc, Albi ) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ''Albigensians'' (french: Albigeois, Albigeoise(s), oc, albi ...
, and performed with
Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, includin ...
,
Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as " rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis mad ...
, and
Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music artist, as well as an actress and author. She is considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta ...
at London's
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
. 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 music singer-songwriter and honky-tonk singer. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982. Frizzell released many songs that char ...
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 ama ...
. 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 Brian George Cadd AM (born 29 November 1946) is an Australian singer-songwriter, keyboardist, producer and record label founder, a staple of Australian entertainment for over 50 years. As well as working internationally throughout Europe and the ...
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), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
. 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–present

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 (born August 2, 1937) is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist best known as the keyboardist and occasional saxophonist for rock group the Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. He was a ...
from the Band 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''. 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 once and for all. His efforts were in vain, however. In 2011, a new lineup arose from the remains of Burrito Deluxe. This lineup toured as "The Burritos" and released the album ''Sound As Ever.'' 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, the band reverted to "The Burrito Brothers" and continued to tour and record.Home
Theflyingburritobrothers.net (March 8, 2014). Retrieved on April 18, 2014.
The Burrito Brothers released ''Still Going Strong'' in May 2018 and followed with ''The Notorious Burrito Brothers'' in 2020. Also in 2020, a rarities album, "Sidelines" was released. This collection was credited to "Burrito Deluxe" rather than "The Burrito Brothers" since many of the tracks were recorded by members who were not necessarily band members at the time even if they later went on to be or previously had been.


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 Desert Rose Band (1986–93) with Herb Pedersen. 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 and 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 ...
. * Rick Roberts and Michael Clarke formed Firefall 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'' and for his sound 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 space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based on a stor ...
''. * Gib Guilbeau retired following heart surgery and moved to
Palmdale, California Palmdale is a city in northern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. The city lies in the Antelope Valley region of Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains separate Palmdale from the Los Angeles Basin to the south. On A ...
. 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 in Washington County, United States, with a population of 17,369 according to the 2020 U.S. census. It is the county seat of Washington County. Washington County is known as the "Birthplace of Texas, ...
where he has continued to write hits for performers such as
the Whites The Whites is an American country music vocal group from Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It consists of sisters Sharon White and Cheryl White, and their father, Buck White. Sharon on guitar, Cheryl on bass and Buck on Mandolin. Formed in 1972 ...
("Forever You"), Mark Farner ("Isn't It Amazing?"), and
the Bellamy Brothers The Bellamy Brothers are an American pop and country music duo consisting of brothers David Milton Bellamy (born September 16, 1950) and Homer Howard Bellamy (born February 2, 1946), from Dade City, Florida. The duo had considerable musical suc ...
("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 Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter 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 bega ...
to
Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...
.


Band members


The Flying Burrito Brothers


Classic Era

*
Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973) who was known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist who recorded as a solo artist and with the International Submarine Band, ...
– guitar, piano, vocals (1968–1970) * Chris Hillman – guitar, bass, vocals (1968–1971) *
"Sneaky" Pete Kleinow Peter E. "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow (August 20, 1934 – January 6, 2007) was an American country-rock musician. He is best known as a member of the band The Flying Burrito Brothers and as a session musician playing pedal steel guitar for such arti ...
– pedal steel guitar (1968–1971, 1973, 1974–1981, 1984–1997) * Chris Ethridge – bass (1968–1969, 1974–1976, 1993) * Eddie Hoh – drums (1968) * Jon Corneal – drums (1968–1969) * Michael Clarke – drums (1969–1971) * Bernie Leadon – guitar, banjo, vocals (1969–1971) * Rick Roberts – guitar, vocals (1970–1973)


Later members

* Al Perkins – 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 – 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 John Edward Beland (born July 24, 1949) is an American songwriter, session guitarist, recording artist, producer and author. Beland's career as guitarist started out in Los Angeles in the late 1960s, playing sessions and local live gigs with ...
– 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 Brian George Cadd AM (born 29 November 1946) is an Australian singer-songwriter, keyboardist, producer and record label founder, a staple of Australian entertainment for over 50 years. As well as working internationally throughout Europe and the ...
– 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 Peter E. "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow (August 20, 1934 – January 6, 2007) was an American country-rock musician. He is best known as a member of the band The Flying Burrito Brothers and as a session musician playing pedal steel guitar for such arti ...
– 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 (born August 2, 1937) is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist best known as the keyboardist and occasional saxophonist for rock group the Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. He was a ...
– 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)


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 Relix Records artists