The Byrds formed in LA, California in the year 1964 as an American rock band. The group went through a plethora of lineup changes throughout its active career, with Roger McGuinn, the bands frontman, remaining the only consistent member until the group's disbandment in the year 1973. Despite having only managing to claim the grand commercial success of the times contemporaries such as the Beatles for a short time (a little more than a year), they have been considered by some critics as one of the most influential groups to come out of the 60s.

The bands original lineup was consisted of Jim McGuinn on vocals and lead guitar, Gene Clark on tambourine as well as vocals, Davis Crosby on the rhythm guitar and vocals, Christ Hillman on the bass and vocals, and Michael Clarke on the drums. Clark decided to leave the group on account of problems relating to anxiety as well as his growing isolation from within the group. The group continued on as a quartet until Crosby and Clarke departed in the late of the year 1967. Hillman and Parson had left the band as well in the late of '68. McGuinn recreated the band by rebuilding its membership, and between the years 1968 and 1973, the new incarnation of the Byrds featured Clarence White. However early in the year 1973 McGuinn disbanded the new lineup, in order to prepare for a reunion of the original five members. The final album released by the Byrds was released in March of 1973, and the newly reunited band re-disbanded shortly after.

The Byrds' albums had begun to appear here and there on compact discs during the late '80s and early '90s. The Byrds has released albums such as "Mr. Tambourine Man", "Turn! Turn! Turn!", "Fifth Dimension", "Younger Than Yesterday", "The Notorious Byrd Brothers", and "Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde". They also released the live albums "Live at the Fillmore - February 1969" and "Live at Royal Albert Hall 1971".

There singles included "Don't Be Long", "All I Really Want to Do", "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better", "Eight Miles High" and "Mr. Spaceman".

Trivia:

Frontman for the Byrds Roger McGuinn briefly practiced the Subud religion.