John York | |
---|---|
Birth name | John York Foley |
Born | White Plains, New York, U.S. | August 3, 1946
Genres | Rock, country rock |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, record producer |
Instrument(s) | Bass guitar, guitar, oud, vocals |
Years active | 1965–present |
Labels | Tribe, Columbia, Debris, Taxim |
Website | www |
John York Foley (born August 3, 1946) [1] is an American bassist and guitarist. He is best known for his work with the Byrds.
Prior to joining the Byrds, John York was a member of the Bees and the Sir Douglas Quintet, and also worked as a session musician for the Mamas & the Papas and Johnny Rivers. [2] He was also the bassist in ex-Byrd Gene Clark's touring band. [2]
York joined The Byrds in September 1968, as a replacement for the band's original bass player Chris Hillman. [3] He remained with the group until September 1969, when he was replaced by Skip Battin. [4]
Despite only being with the Byrds for a year, his bass playing and singing appear on two of the group's studio albums, Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde and Ballad of Easy Rider , as well as on the non-album single "Lay Lady Lay". [1] He wrote "Fido", which appears on Ballad of Easy Rider, and co-wrote "Candy", which is included on Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde. [4] [5] He also appears on the Columbia/Legacy Byrds' live album Live at the Fillmore - February 1969 . [6]
Following his departure from the Byrds, York worked with Clark during the mid-1980s, along with Pat Robinson, in the group CRY. [7] He served as an integral member of the Tribute to the Byrds band along with Gene Clark, Michael Clarke, Rick Roberts and others in the mid to late 1980s.[ citation needed ]
York has maintained a lengthy career as a guitarist and bass player, and since the 1980s has worked with artists including Chris Darrow, Katie Trickett, Steven T., Nick Binkley, and Carla Olson, among others. [8]
In 1988, he recorded a number of songs with fellow ex-Byrds bass player Skip Battin, and these recordings were issued as the Family Tree album in 2001. [8] He released three solo albums, Sacred Path Songs (1991), Claremont Dragon (1998), and Arigatou Baby (2006), [8] and recorded the albums Clan Mother Songs with Jamie Sams, and Koto with Yukiko Matsuyama. [9] In 2008, York teamed-up with singer-songwriter Barry McGuire for a live tour entitled Trippin' the 60's.