American bassist and guitarist
John York |
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| Birth name | John York Foley |
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| Born | (1946-08-03) August 3, 1946 (age 77)
White Plains, New York, U.S. |
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| Genres | Rock, country rock |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, record producer |
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| Instrument(s) | Bass guitar, guitar, oud, vocals |
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| Years active | 1965–present |
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| Labels | Tribe, Columbia, Debris, Taxim |
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| Website | www.johnyorkmusic.com |
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Musical artist
John York Foley (born August 3, 1946)[1] is an American bassist and guitarist. He is best known for his work with the Byrds.
History
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.
