American Rock and Country Legend Coming to Horizon Stage

Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen Will Revisit Their Contributions to Music History on September 19.

Horizon Stage is excited to start its 2013/2014 season with an American musical legend. Chris Hillman is a Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a 4-time Grammy Award nominee, and a pioneer of the country-rock genre. Joined onstage by legendary vocalist and all-star multi-instrumentalist Herb Pedersen, Hillman will take his audience on a tour through 50 years of music history in a single evening—history that he helped make!  Country and rock music fans are invited to get Up Close and Personal with Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen at Horizon Stage Performing Arts Centre in Spruce Grove on Thursday, September 19, at 7:30 p.m.

 With a background in bluegrass, Chris Hillman put down his mandolin in the summer of 1964 when he was recruited to play electric bass for a new band called The Byrds. Through hits like “Mr. Tambourine Man”, “So You Want to be a Rock & Roll Star”, and “Turn! Turn! Turn!”, The Byrds quickly became a cornerstone of the 1960s cultural and musical movement. In 1967, Chris established himself as a songwriter with “Time Between” which was noted by many as being the first country-rock song. After his tenure with The Byrds he and Gram Parsons formed The Flying Burrito Brothers, a band that is considered to have been forerunners of the alternative country-rock style.

Herb Pedersen was the number one session singer and instrumentalist in the Los Angeles area for decades, performing on many notable artists’ albums and collaborating with the likes of Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, John Prine, John Denver, and Kris Kristofferson. He is the front man for The Laurel Canyon Ramblers and has worked on soundtracks or television (The Rockford Files, The Simpsons) and motion pictures (Smokey and The Bandit, Maverick) since the 1970s.

Chris and Herb’s musical friendship has spanned over forty five years since their initial meeting in Los Angeles during the early folk and bluegrass movement.  In 1980s they joined with John Jorgenson to form the critically acclaimed DesertRose Band. That group enjoyed numerous number one country singles including “One Step Forward”, “Summer Wind”, and “He’s Back and I’m Blue”. By the mid-nineties, Hillman and Pedersen began performing as an acoustic duo and have since recorded several successful albums together. Their latest release, “At Edward’s Barn,” continues their long-running love for the music they embraced so passionately years ago.

 

Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen’s concert playlist shines with the strength of Chris’ writing, bluegrass, roots, country and, of course, some classic rock ‘n’ roll. Tickets to see them perform live at Horizon Stage on Thursday, September 19 are $40 for adults, and $35 for students and seniors. Tickets may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995, or online at www.ticketpro.ca.