The Byrds’ Co-Founders Roger McGuinn & Chris Hillman Announce ‘Sweetheart Of The Rodeo’ 50th Anniversary Tour

The Byrds co-founders Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of Sweetheart Of The Rodeo by performing the landmark album in its entirety at a series of upcoming concerts. The pair will be backed by Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives.

Originally issued in 1968, Sweetheart Of The Rodeo was recorded during Graham Parsons’ short-lived stint as a member of The Byrds. McGuinn and Hillman will tell stories behind the songs making up the LP and they’ll perform other selections from their careers.

“On March 9, 1968, Roger McGuinn and I along with many fantastic musicians began recording the Sweetheart Of The Rodeo album at Columbia Studios in Nashville,” Hillman stated. ”It was truly a pivotal moment in our lives taking a turn toward the music we always felt a strong kinship with. We are honored that it has left a strong, long lasting impression on country and rock music. To celebrate this special time with Roger, Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives is such a blessing on this, the 50th anniversary of Sweetheart Of The Rodeo.”

Stuart currently owns and plays the 1954 Fender Telecaster originally utilized by renowned session musician Clarence White who contributed to Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. Prior to the start of the tour, some of the songs on Sweetheart Of The Rodeo will be performed by McGuinn, Hillman and their supporting cast at Stuart’s Late Night Jam taking place this Wednesday, June 6 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

“Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Sweetheart Of The Rodeo with a group of my favorite musicians is an honor,” said McGuinn. “I can’t wait to be on stage with Chris Hillman, Marty Stuart and those Fabulous Superlatives! We’re all looking forward to taking the fans through the back pages of the recording. The concert will include songs that led up to that ground breaking trip to Nashville and all the songs from the album.”

The 50th anniversary Sweetheart Of The Rodeo Tour will being in earnest on July 24 in Los Angeles followed by a show on July 29 in Saratoga, California. A show on September 18 is planned in Albany, New York, followed by a September 20 concert in Hopewell, Virginia. An additional performance will take place on October 3 in Akron, Ohio. More dates are expected to be revealed in the future.