Although the two were absolutely visionaries in their own right, the careers of Gram Parson and Chris Hillman would not have been what they were without each other. Both lay the foundations for a new genre of music, country rock, or alternate country.

For Gram that often meant creating country music with a rock and roll attitude, a la rolling stones style where as Chris was perhaps less inspired by the life style and more diligent in the work.

Chris Hillman grew up a country boy on a ranch in Southern California, and after enjoying a local reputation as a solid blue grass mandolin player, was invited to join a band that are often credited as inventing folk rock, The Byrds. Whether this is true or not is a matter of opinion but the eclecticism of their sound over the years is undeniable. However Chris was to play bass guitar not mandolin.

After four years the band were searching for a new guitarist, it was Chris who suggested Gram. Gram was to play with the Byrds for a short time, but enough to make to make his presence known musically as he inspired the country direction for “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” and encouraged them to record it in Nashville.

Gram, whose entrée to music had been fairly new so far, was spending a lot of time hanging out with his idols and buddies, the Rolling Stones who were then enjoying wild success in the US. Supposedly under their influence he decided not to accompany the Byrds on tour to South Africa, due to the apartheid situation. However such a decision was expressed very late in the day to the rest of the band thus ending his time with the Byrds not to mention pissing them off.

After falling out for a few months, Chris and Gram reconciled and weeks later Chris himself left the Byrds and. the two formed the Flying Burrito Brothers, a band that would go on to influence everyone from The Eagles to Beck.