The Desert Rose Band

{{Short description|American country rock band}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist  | name = The Desert Rose Band | image = Desertrosebandpromophoto.jpg | caption = Pictured from left to right Herb Pedersen, Chris Hillman and John Jorgenson | image_size = | background = group_or_band | origin = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | genre = {{Hlist|Country rock|progressive country<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.esptakamine.com/articles/2008450-john-jorgenson-joins-chris-hillman-in-tom-petty-tribute |title= John Jorgenson Joins Chris Hillman in Tom Petty Tribute|date=October 26, 2017 |author=Staff |work=ESP Takamine|access-date=2023-07-23}}</ref>}} | years_active = 1985–1994 | label = MCA, Curb | past_members = Chris Hillman Herb Pedersen John Jorgenson JayDee Maness Steve Duncan Tom Brumley Jeff Ross Tim Grogan Bill Bryson }}

'''The Desert Rose Band''' was an American country rock band from Los Angeles, California, founded in 1985 by Chris Hillman (formerly of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers), with Herb Pedersen and John Jorgenson. The original lineup included Bill Bryson on bass guitar, JayDee Maness on pedal steel guitar, and Steve Duncan on drums. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the band charted several hit singles on the US ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts until disbanding in February 1994.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=Virgin Books|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|pages=365/6}}</ref>

==Formation== The Desert Rose Band was formed in 1985 by frontman Chris Hillman (born December 4, 1944), formerly a member of The Byrds, and co-founder, along with the late Gram Parsons of the country-rock band The Flying Burrito Brothers. Additional members included John Jorgenson (born July 6, 1956), who was mainly responsible for the instrumental arrangements of the songs, and Herb Pedersen (born April 27, 1944), responsible for the vocal arrangements. Jorgenson and Pedersen sang three-part harmony with Hillman. Each Desert Rose Band album featured Pedersen on one lead vocal. Pedal steel player JayDee Maness (born January 4, 1945), drummer Steve Duncan (born July 28, 1953), and bassist Bill Bryson (1946–2017) rounded out the group.<ref name="Larkin"/>

==Career== ===1987-1989: ''The Desert Rose Band'' and ''Running''=== Their eponymous debut album was issued in 1987 on MCA/Curb.<ref name="Larkin"/> It contained their first hit "Ashes of Love", which was originally a Johnnie & Jack song from the early 1950s. It was the second time Hillman and Pedersen recorded "Ashes of Love," the first being on Hillman's just prior album ''Desert Rose'' on the Sugar Hill label. The Desert Rose Band's debut also featured a remake of Chris Hillman's "Time Between" which he previously wrote and recorded as a member of the Byrds,<ref name="Larkin"/> as well as the band's first chart-topper "He's Back and I'm Blue".

Their second album ''Running'' (1988) featured the John Hiatt-penned hit "She Don't Love Nobody", "Running", and a remake of Buck Owens's "Hello Trouble".<ref name="Larkin"/>

===1990-1993: ''Pages of Life'', ''True Love'' and ''Life Goes On''=== The third album ''Pages of Life'' (1990)<ref name="Larkin"/> featured a remake of "Desert Rose" as well as a remake of Pedersen's folk song about his daughter "Our Baby's Gone" which was originally recorded on his 1976 album ''Southwest''. JayDee Maness left the band in 1990 and was replaced on pedal steel guitar by Tom Brumley whom Jay Dee replaced in the Buckaroos.<ref name="Larkin"/> Maness would again play with Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen on their post Desert Rose Band duo albums ''Bakersfield Bound'' and ''Way Out West''.

The fourth studio album, ''True Love'', was released in 1991.<ref name="Larkin"/> It was followed by 1993's ''Life Goes On'',<ref name="Larkin"/> released only in Europe. Several prominent country and bluegrass musicians made guest appearances on ''Life Goes On'' including Sam Bush on fiddle, Tony Rice and Larry Park (of Boy Howdy) on guitar, and Al Perkins on dobro. Before the release of this final studio album, was the 1993 compilation ''Traditional''.

John Jorgenson and Steve Duncan left the band in 1991.<ref name="Larkin"/> Jorgenson went on to form the Hellecasters with Will Ray and Jerry Donahue; Duncan also joined the Hellecasters. John Jorgenson is currently playing gypsy jazz with his John Jorgenson Quintette. Chris and Herb recorded an acoustic album called ''The Other Side'' in 2005. They continue to tour as an acoustic duo. Former Buck Owens steel player Tom Brumley played with Joey Riley's band in Branson, Missouri. He died on February 3, 2009.

==Awards== The Desert Rose Band was nominated for two Grammy Awards, in the category Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: the debut album ''The Desert Rose Band'' (1987), and the single "She Don't Love Nobody" (1989).<ref>{{cite web|title= Desert Rose Band |publisher= National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences |access-date= January 8, 2022|url= https://www.grammy.com/artists/desert-rose-band/15803}}</ref>

The band was a three-time winner of the Band of the Year/Touring Award presented by the Academy of Country Music Association, in 1988, 1989, and 1990.

The band earned the Country Music Association's "Horizon Award" in 1989, and was nominated Vocal Group of the Year in 1989 and 1990.

Broadcast Music Inc., recognized "One Step Forward" and "Love Reunited" for having achieved the benchmark of ''One Million Broadcast Radio Performances.''<ref>{{cite web|title= Chris Hillman|access-date= January 8, 2022|url= https://chrishillman.com/about/}}</ref>

==Band members== '''Final lineup''' * Chris Hillman – lead vocals, guitars {{small|(1985–1994)}} * Herb Pedersen – guitars, vocals {{small|(1985–1994)}} * Tom Brumley – pedal steel guitar {{small|(1990–1994; died 2009)}} * Tim Grogan – drums, percussion {{small|(1991–1994)}} * Jeff Ross – guitars, vocals {{small|(1991–1994)}}

'''Former members''' * Bill Bryson – bass guitar, vocals {{small|(1985–1991; died 2017)}} * Steve Duncan – drums, percussion {{small|(1985–1991; died 2025)}} * John Jorgenson – guitars, vocals {{small|(1985–1991)}} * JayDee Maness – pedal steel guitar {{small|(1985–1990)}}

==Discography== ===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Title ! rowspan="2" style="width:20em;"| Album details ! colspan="2"| Peak positions |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="45"| US Country <ref name="Country Albums">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-desert-rose-band/chart-history/clp/|title=The Desert Rose Band - Country Albums|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=January 31, 2019}}</ref> ! width="45"| US <ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-desert-rose-band/chart-history/tlp/|title=The Desert Rose Band - Billboard 200|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=January 31, 2019}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| ''The Desert Rose Band'' | * Release date: June 2, 1987 * Label: MCA/Curb Records | 24 | — |- ! scope="row"| ''Running'' | * Release date: September 6, 1988 * Label: MCA/Curb Records | 26 | — |- ! scope="row"| ''Pages of Life'' | * Release date: January 16, 1990 * Label: MCA/Curb Records | 17 | 187 |- ! scope="row"| ''True Love'' | * Release date: October 1, 1991 * Label: Curb Records | — | — |- ! scope="row"| ''Life Goes On'' | * Release date: September 21, 1993 * Label: Curb Records | — | — |- | colspan="4" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |- |}

===Compilation albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Title ! rowspan="2" style="width:20em;"| Album details ! Peak positions |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="65"| US Country <ref name="Country Albums"/> |- ! scope="row"| ''A Dozen Roses – Greatest Hits'' | * Release date: January 4, 1991 * Label: MCA/Curb Records | 44 |- | colspan="3" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2" style="width:14em;"| Single ! colspan="2"| Peak positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="45"| US Country <ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-desert-rose-band/chart-history/csi/|title=The Desert Rose Band - Hot Country Songs|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=January 31, 2019}}</ref> ! width="45"| CAN Country <ref>Peak chart positions for country singles of The Desert Rose Band in Canada: * All singles except "Summer Wind" and "I Still Believe in You" – {{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/list.aspx?OCRText=Desert+Rose+Band&ChartEn=Country+Singles&|title=Desert Rose Band - Country Tracks|work=RPM|date=17 July 2013|accessdate=January 31, 2019}} * "Summer Wind" – {{cite web|url=http://rpmimages.3345.ca/pdfs/Volume+49-No.+5-November+19%2C+1988.pdf|title=RPM 100 Country Singles|work=RPM|date=November 12, 1988|access-date=January 31, 2019|archive-date=April 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401181329/http://rpmimages.3345.ca/pdfs/Volume%2049-No.%205-November%2019%2C%201988.pdf|url-status=dead}} * "I Sill Believe in You" – {{cite web|url=http://rpmimages.3345.ca/pdfs/Volume+49-No.+19-March+6-11%2C+1989.pdf|title=RPM 100 Country Singles|work=RPM|date=March 6, 1989}}</ref> |- | rowspan="3"| 1987 ! scope="row"| "Ashes of Love" | 26 | 37 | align="left" rowspan="4"| ''The Desert Rose Band'' |- ! scope="row"| "Love Reunited" | 6 | 5 |- ! scope="row"| "One Step Forward" | 2 | 2 |- | rowspan="3"| 1988 ! scope="row"| "He's Back and I'm Blue" | 1 | 1 |- ! scope="row"| "Summer Wind" | 2 | 2 | align="left" rowspan="4"| ''Running'' |- ! scope="row"| "I Still Believe in You" | 1 | 1 |- | rowspan="3"| 1989 ! scope="row"| "She Don't Love Nobody" | 3 | 4 |- ! scope="row"| "Hello Trouble" | 11 | 11 |- ! scope="row"| "Start All Over Again" | 6 | 3 | align="left" rowspan="3"| ''Pages of Life'' |- | rowspan="2"| 1990 ! scope="row"| "In Another Lifetime" | 13 | 18 |- ! scope="row"| "Story of Love" | 10 | 6 |- | rowspan="4"| 1991 ! scope="row"| "Will This Be the Day" | 37 | 44 | align="left" rowspan="2"| ''A Dozen Roses – Greatest Hits'' |- ! scope="row"| "Come a Little Closer" | 65 | 67 |- ! scope="row"| "You Can Go Home" | 53 | 64 | align="left" rowspan="2"| ''True Love'' |- ! scope="row"| "Twilight Is Gone" | 67 | 82 |- | rowspan="2"| 1993 ! scope="row"| "What About Love" | 71 | — | align="left" rowspan="2"| ''Life Goes On'' |- ! scope="row"| "Night After Night" | — | — |- | colspan="5" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |- |}

===Music videos=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! Year ! style="width:14em;"| Video ! Director |- |- | rowspan="2"| 1988 ! scope="row"| "He's Back and I'm Blue" | |- ! scope="row"| "Summer Wind" | |- | 1989 ! scope="row"| "She Don't Love Nobody" | rowspan="2"| Bill Pope |- | 1990 ! scope="row"| "In Another Lifetime" |- | rowspan="2"| 1991 ! scope="row"| "Will This Be the Day" | Gerry Wenner |- ! scope="row"| "You Can Go Home" | Gustavo Garzón |- | 1993 ! scope="row"| "What About Love" | Michael Merriman |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20031227005208/http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/desert_rose_band/artist.jhtml CMT.com profile] *[http://www.chrishillman.com chrishillman.com] *[https://www.herbpedersen.com herbpedersen.com] *[https://www.johnjorgenson.com johnjorgenson.com] *[http://www.drb-fans.com drb-fans.com]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Desert Rose Band, The}} Category:Country music groups from California Category:American country rock groups Category:MCA Records artists Category:Musical groups established in 1985 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1994 Category:Progressive country musicians Category:1985 establishments in California