The three reasons Gene Parsons got kicked out The Byrds

7 October 2025, 09:21

"One day, I got this phonecall..."

The Byrds went through countless lineups during their incredible decade together.

Even if you ignore the short but sweet reunions in the years that followed their original run, the group had a revolving door of major talents between 1964 and 1973, with only Roger McGuinn as an ever-present.

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Original members Gene Clark, David Crosby, Michael Clarke and Chris Hillman went (and came and went again). Gram Parsons stepped in for less than a year in 1968, but Sweetheart of the Rodeo left one hell of a mark.

But one of the finest eras of The Byrds saw the impressive Clarence White and Gene Parsons (no relation to Gram) in the group, with both a key part of the sound of the five albums from Dr Byrds and Mr Hyde in 1969 to Farther Along in 1971.

Clarence found his way into the band first as a session player on Younger Than Yesterday and the next two albums before joining full time, and it was him who mentioned Gene's name, having played with him as part of country rockers Nashville West.

After a successful audition, Parsons was signed up – just a couple of shows before Chris Hillman quit the band, in fact.

The Byrds - Chestnut Mare (1971)

This lineup stuck together for a remarkable five albums in three years and a half years, and Parsons has credited the band's improved live reputation to his strong relationship with bass player Skipp Battin, who joined in 1970.

This period of stability gave way to more turmoil when Gene Parsons was the first person forced from the group by McGuinn, shortly after the release of Father Away.

Gene Parsons claimed that it was Clarence White who phoned him with the bad news, because McGuinn was too "chicken" to do it himself.

And he told Mojo magazine in 2004 that there were three reasons why he was sacked from the group, and it reads a little like a checklist of all the usual factors that break up rock 'n' roll bands.

According to Gene, it was a heady cocktail of musical differences, money issues and personality clashes that meant that the band's leader/dictator Roger McGuinn wanted him gone.

"Partially, it was musical differences," Parsons said. "Roger had gotten a Moog synthesiser and was experimenting with that.

"Being string-oriented – I was originally a five-string banjo-player, I also play guitar, bass, pedal steel, mandolin, harmonica, and sing – that wasn't the direction the rest of us wanted to go.

"It was also partially financial. Clarence, Skip, and I were never signed to the record company.

The Byrds - Eight Miles High - 9/23/1970 - Fillmore East (Official)

"We were retained as sidemen through the band's management, but told that we would share in profits from the records. Well, that's where the problem arose."

He added: "And partially, it was just our personalities. As much as Roger and I ever tried to get along with one another, I don't think there was ever much love lost between us.

"But it's all water under the bridge now. It was a wonderful experience. Roger had developed a 12-string guitar sound that was the cornerstone of The Byrds, and he wrote some good songs.

"And it was always an adventure, playing with Clarence and Skip. We never played any tune the same way twice."

After Parson's exit, Battin was then dismissed and briefly replaced by former member Hillman, before the band dissolved, They reconvened with all their original members for swansong Byrds, before splitting once more.