My Famous Cousin, Part 2

[This is a continuation of the story I started on Tuesday (below).]

After recording an album at age 19 with the Dillards in 1965, Byron was invited to perform at the Newport Folk Festival, where he met the "Father of Bluegrass," Bill Monroe. He was offered a job with Monroe's band, the Bluegrass Boys, but he didn't join them until 1967, after he'd finished college. It was a short relationship; about 6 months later he was drafted.

In 1969, out of the service, he joined Dillard & Clark on an album. After that, he moved to Southern California where he joined the Flying Burrito Brothers in 1971. He recorded two albums with them. Here's a sample; check this out, it's good! Byron comes in for his fiddle solo at about 1minute into the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwPTYimAE7E&feature=share&list=PLWl1C8k1ZuOiw8DmKFJBKjX02QYA8PBFv

When that band broke up, he spent some time working with Stephen Still's band, Manassas, on their debut album.

Byron won the National Old-Time Fiddler Contest Championship in 1965, 1967, and 1970. In 1972 he formed the group Country Gazette. Four years later, he founded the group Sundance, which a young Vince Gill later joined.

In 1979, Byron had a bit part in the movie The Rose, starring Bette Midler, loosely based on the last days of Janis Joplin's life. He was one of the musicians in the trailer backstage scene, part of the Billy Ray Band, when Bette Midler's character meets her country music idol, Billy Ray, and is immediately rebuffed by him.

In 1987, he appeared briefly in one of the first season's episodes of Star Trek: the Next Generation, where he played a violin.

After forming the band Berline, Crary & Hickman (who I saw play twice), they changed their name to California.  California was named the International Bluegrass Music Association's Instrumental Group of the Year three years in a row: 1992, 1993, and 1994).

[to be concluded tomorrow]