| The Hillmen | |
| Landscape: | Yes |
| Years Active: | 1962–1964 |
| Origin: | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genre: | Bluegrass |
| Label: | Together |
| Associated Acts: | The Golden State Boys, The Byrds, the Gosdin Brothers, the Bluegrass Cardinals |
| Past Members: | Chris Hillman Vern Gosdin Rex Gosdin Don Parmley Hal Poindexter |
The Hillmen (a.k.a. the Golden State Boys) were a southern Californian bluegrass group.[1] Formed in 1962, the original line-up of the Golden State Boys consisted of Vern Gosdin on guitar and lead vocals, his brother Rex Gosdin on double bass, Hal Poindexter on guitar, and Don Parmley on banjo.[2] [3] Poindexter left the group in late 1962, however, and was replaced by 17-year-old mandolin prodigy Chris Hillman.[3] Hillman, who had previously been a member of the high-profile San Diego bluegrass group the Scottsville Squirrel Barkers, was invited to join the Golden State Boys by Parmley, after the pair met at a bluegrass evening at The Ice House folk club in Pasadena.[3] [4] Upon his recruitment, the group briefly changed their name to the Blue Diamond Boys before finally settling on The Hillmen, in honor of their mandolin playing wunderkind.[3]
The Hillmen played regularly throughout southern California between 1962 and 1964 and also made a number of television appearances, bringing them to the attention of record producer Jim Dickson.[3] [4] [5] Over the course of three months in 1963 and 1964, Dickson recorded The Hillmen at World Pacific Studios in Los Angeles, in an attempt to secure a recording contract with Elektra Records.[2] [3] Unfortunately, Elektra turned the group down and the World Pacific recordings went unreleased until 1969, when they were issued on the Together Records imprint as The Hillmen album.
By mid-1964, the group had broken up and Chris Hillman was subsequently recruited by Jim Dickson as The Byrds' bass player in October of that year.[3] [6] Following The Hillmen's demise, Parmley went on to form the Bluegrass Cardinals, while Vern Gosdin became a country and western singer and Rex Gosdin worked as a songwriter.[1]
. Rogan, Johnny.. Johnny Rogan. 42–43. 1998. The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited. 2nd. Rogan House. 0-9529540-1-X.
. Hjort, Christopher.. Christopher Hjort. 14. 2008. So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965-1973). Jawbone Press. 1-906002-15-0.
. Hjort, Christopher.. Christopher Hjort. 20. 2008. So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965-1973). Jawbone Press. 1-906002-15-0.