Chris Hillman (born Christopher Hillman, December 4, 1944, in Los Angeles, California) was one of the original members of The Byrds with Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Michael Clarke. Hillman left the Byrds in 1968, joining Gram Parsons as a vocalist and guitarist in the Flying Burrito Brothers. Along with Parsons, Chris Hillman was a key figure in the development of country rock, virtually defining America's most successful genre through his seminal work in the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers.