THE DESERT ROSE BAND LIVE AT THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME® AND MUSEUM CMA THEATER

Chris Hillman Announces Limited Edition Vinyl Double Album to be Released
September 5, 2025

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Desert Rose Band, the tremendously popular country group co-founded and fronted by Chris Hillman in the 80s, reunited for one final performance in Nashville, on October 2, 2022 at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum's CMA Theater. The acclaimed two-hour concert, recorded for posterity, was a highlight of the grand opening of the museum's superb exhibition, Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country Rock. Now, Hillman has announced that the 24-track, double live album, produced, mixed and mastered by Mick Conley, will be released on vinyl on September 5. In addition, the first digital single from the album, "Love Reunited," will be released on September 5. Hillman has also previewed three of the tracks on his radio program, The Burrito Stand on SiriusXM's Dwight Yoakam and the Bakersfield Beat Channel 349.

It was a full circle experience for country-rock pioneer and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Chris Hillman, who founded The Desert Rose Band in 1986, along with Herb Pedersen, John Jorgenson, Bill Bryson, JayDee Maness and Steve Duncan. As a founding member of The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas, the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers and The Hillmen, among others, every decade of Hillman's career was covered in the Western Edge exhibit, which will conclude its nearly three-year run on September 16. It traces the L.A.-based communities of visionary singers, songwriters and musicians who, from the 1960s through the 1980s, created and shaped the musical fusion "country-rock" and made an enduring impact on popular music. The opening events of Western Edge inspired Hillman to organize the farewell concert for The Desert Rose Band. It was the perfect occasion to celebrate the band's rich history as musicians, their harmonies and the lasting impact of their songs. 

Reflecting on the significance of the occasion, Hillman said, "October 2, 2022, would not only be the final concert for me after six decades of singing and playing music, but also the final performance for The Desert Rose Band. This night turned out to be a special one. We played together as if it was one of our very best shows in the early days. To have it recorded, and brought to life again for everyone to enjoy is a blessing. I hope everyone who listens will feel what we were all feeling that night."

At the time of the live concert, it had been nearly a decade since The Desert Rose Band had played together. All surviving band members reassembled for the October 2022 concert including Chris Hillman (lead vocals/ acoustic 6 string guitar), Herb Pedersen (vocals/acoustic 6 string guitar), John Jorgenson (vocals/electric 6 & 12 string guitars/6 string bass/mandolin/acoustic guitar), JayDee Maness (pedal steel guitar) and Steve Duncan (vocals/drums), as well as Mark Fain (Ricky Skaggs' long time bassist, replacing the late Bill Bryson). Commercially successful and critically acclaimed, The Desert Rose Band's career had an impressive run during the eight years of their existence and were rarely off of the American Country charts. They celebrated two #1 singles and eight that made the Top 10. They also earned three Academy of Country Music awards (including Band of the Year) as well as CMA and Grammy nominations. 

All consummate musicians, the band lost no time in recapturing the magic for the reunion concert, delivering a stellar performance of songs spanning the group's full career from its first single, "Ashes of Love," to the chart-toppers, "He's Back and I'm Blue," "I Still Believe in You," "One Step Forward" and "Love Reunited." Other highlights included "Time Between," Hillman's first solo songwriting credit with The Byrds, Dusty Owens' "Once More," the Buck Owens' classics, "Hello Trouble," "Together Again" and "Under Your Spell," Herb Pedersen's "Our Baby's Gone" and a rousing version of John Hiatt's "She Don't Love Nobody," a #3 country hit for the band. Michael McCall, associate director of editorial for the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum and co-curator of the Western Edge exhibit said, "They have great songs, which is the primary thing. It had been eight years since they played together, but it was one of the best shows I've ever seen – they were just so on that night." 

The sold-out audience at the museum's 776-seat CMA Theater featured an eclectic group of fans ranging from those who had first enjoyed the group in the 80s to younger generations and notable members of the music community, including Paul Worley who produced The Desert Rose Band's first three albums. Praising their final concert, Worley said, "They were impeccable….it sounded like the records – it was perfect. I was blown away. It really was a super special night." The enthusiastic reception was unanimous, reinforcing what made the band so loved and respected in the first place. Three decades after their initial success, The Desert Rose Band delivered an exceptional night of music that will serve as a lasting legacy with the release of their live album.

The Label:
Friday Rights Management, LLC

The album is available through major online music retailers including:
Friday Music
TowerRecords.com

Credits:
Produced, mixed and mastered by Mick Conley
Master prepared for vinyl release by Joe Reagoso
Executive producers: Joe Reagoso and the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum
Associate producer: Connie Pappas Hillman 

Track Listing:
Side 1: 
Ashes of Love (Jack Anglin, Jim Anglin & Johnnie Wright)
Love Reunited (Christopher Hillman & Stephen Hill)
One Step Forward (Christopher Hillman & Bill Parker Wildes)
He's Back and I'm Blue (Michael L. Woody & Robert D. Anderson)
Time Between (Christopher Hillman)
Start All Over Again (Christopher Hillman & Stephen Hill)
Side 2:
Summer Wind (Christopher Hillman & Stephen Hill)
I Still Believe in You (Christopher Hillman & Stephen Hill)
Missing You (Christopher Hillman, Tom Dean Russell & Richard Gary Sellers)
Once More (Dusty Owens)
Our Baby's Gone (Herb Pedersen)
Side 3:
She Don't Love Nobody (John Hiatt)
In Another Lifetime (Christopher Hillman & Stephen Hill)
Story of Love (Christopher Hillman & Stephen Hill)
Hello Trouble (Orville Couch & Eddie McDuff)
It Takes a Believer (Christopher Hillman & Michael L Woody)
No One Else (Christopher Hillman & Herb Pedersen)
Side 4:
Desert Rose (Christopher Hillman & Bill Parker Wildes)
Together Again (Buck Owens)
Under Your Spell (Buck Owens & Dusty Rhodes)
Above and Beyond (Harlan Howard)
Hard Times (Christopher Hillman, Bill Parker Wildes, Jon Thomas Bradford)
Running (Christopher Hillman & Stephen Hill)
The Price I Pay (Christopher Hillman & Bill Parker Wildes)

About the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum:
The museum's 776-seat CMA Theater is a unique Nashville venue. The theater is designed to accommodate a wide range of activities, including concerts, comedy shows, film screenings, corporate and association gatherings, educational programs and award ceremonies. Most significantly, the CMA Theater is home to the museum's annual Medallion Ceremony, which is the formal right of induction for members-elect of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

SOURCE Chris Hillman/Bar None Music Inc.