Chris Hillman was part of two pretty popular little 1960s bands called the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, and he was making Americana music long before the genre had a name. His music encompasses country rock, alternative country, mainstream country (Chris's Desert Rose Band scored 16 country hits between 1987 and 1993), progressive bluegrass, and folkie psychedelia. And he just keeps putting it all together in new ways. A genuine California cowboy when he was young, Chris grew up on a San Diego County ranch, riding horses, and doing ranch chores, but his interests soon changed from spurs and saddles to guitars and mandolins. Chris received the Americana Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.