Biography
Herb Pedersen, a singer and multi-instrumentalist long established in bluegrass, came into the world on April 27, 1944, in Berkeley, California. The son of a policeman, he first absorbed country music through Bay Area folk festivals, where he met like-minded players such as Jerry Garcia, later founder of the Grateful Dead, and David Nelson, who would join the New Riders of the Purple Sage. While still in his mid-teens, Pedersen started his initial bluegrass group, the Pine Valley Boys.
He began professional work in Nashville in 1961, appearing on Carl Tipton's Bluegrass TV Show. After a 1963 engagement with David Grisman's Smokey Grass Boys, Pedersen signed on with the veteran bluegrass pair Vern and Ray, handling vocals and five-string banjo. That association led Earl Scruggs to recruit him in 1967 as a temporary replacement during Scruggs's recovery from hip surgery. The next year Pedersen took Doug Dillard's spot in the Dillards, contributing to Wheatstraw Suite in 1968 and Copperfields in 1970.
Once he left the Dillards, Pedersen settled in Los Angeles and built a reputation as an in-demand session musician, working with Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Kris Kristofferson, and John Prine. After concentrating on studio projects through the first half of the 1970s, he joined Jackson Browne's tour in 1975 and, the following year, issued his debut solo album, Southwest. Following Sandman, also released in 1976, he played in John Denver's band from 1977 to 1980 while sustaining extensive session and production activity into the next decade, before recording his third solo album, Lonesome Feeling, in 1984. He additionally composed music for television series including The Rockford Files, Kojak, The Dukes of Hazzard, and The A-Team.
Across the years Pedersen periodically rejoined his former associate Chris Hillman, formerly of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers. In 1986 the two formed the Desert Rose Band, a country-rock ensemble that enjoyed major hit records. After the group disbanded in 1993, Pedersen created the bluegrass band the Laurel Canyon Ramblers the next year; the outfit delivered Rambler's Blues in 1995. Its second album, Blue Rambler 2, appeared in 1996, as did Bakersfield Bound, another project uniting Pedersen and Hillman.
He began professional work in Nashville in 1961, appearing on Carl Tipton's Bluegrass TV Show. After a 1963 engagement with David Grisman's Smokey Grass Boys, Pedersen signed on with the veteran bluegrass pair Vern and Ray, handling vocals and five-string banjo. That association led Earl Scruggs to recruit him in 1967 as a temporary replacement during Scruggs's recovery from hip surgery. The next year Pedersen took Doug Dillard's spot in the Dillards, contributing to Wheatstraw Suite in 1968 and Copperfields in 1970.
Once he left the Dillards, Pedersen settled in Los Angeles and built a reputation as an in-demand session musician, working with Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Kris Kristofferson, and John Prine. After concentrating on studio projects through the first half of the 1970s, he joined Jackson Browne's tour in 1975 and, the following year, issued his debut solo album, Southwest. Following Sandman, also released in 1976, he played in John Denver's band from 1977 to 1980 while sustaining extensive session and production activity into the next decade, before recording his third solo album, Lonesome Feeling, in 1984. He additionally composed music for television series including The Rockford Files, Kojak, The Dukes of Hazzard, and The A-Team.
Across the years Pedersen periodically rejoined his former associate Chris Hillman, formerly of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers. In 1986 the two formed the Desert Rose Band, a country-rock ensemble that enjoyed major hit records. After the group disbanded in 1993, Pedersen created the bluegrass band the Laurel Canyon Ramblers the next year; the outfit delivered Rambler's Blues in 1995. Its second album, Blue Rambler 2, appeared in 1996, as did Bakersfield Bound, another project uniting Pedersen and Hillman.
Albums
Live
