John York
John York Foley (born August 3, 1946) is an American bassist and guitarist. He is best known for his work with the Byrds.
Also recorded as John York Foley
John York
- Name
- John York
- Birth Name
- John York Foley
- Born
- 3 August 1946
- Birthplace
- White Plains, New York, U.S.
- Occupation
- Musician, songwriter, record producer
- Full name
- John Foley York.
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- country music
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
John York Foley (born August 3, 1946) is an American bassist and guitarist. He is best known for his work with the Byrds.
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Note VALÉORINE
John York (born 1946) is a composer, guitarist and musician, among other activities, of American nationality. The composer was born John Foley York in White Plains. John York is a member of The Byrds and The Lamp of Childhood.
The work spans country music. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — John York • Birth Name — John York Foley • Born — 3 August 1946 • Birthplace — White Plains, New York, U.S. • Instrument — Bass guitar, guitar, oud, vocals • Genre — Rock, country rock • Occupation — Musician, songwriter, record producer • Years Active — 1965–present • Label — Tribe, Columbia, Debris, Taxim • Past Member Of — The Bees, Sir Douglas Quintet, The Byrds • Website — www.johnyorkmusic.com
History
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. He was also the bassist in ex-Byrd Gene Clark's touring band. York joined The Byrds in September 1968, as a replacement for the band's original bass player Chris Hillman. He remained with the group until September 1969, when he was replaced by Skip Battin. 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". He wrote "Fido", which appears on Ballad of Easy Rider, and co-wrote "Candy", which is included on Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde. He also appears on the Columbia/Legacy Byrds' live album Live at the Fillmore - February 1969. Following his departure from the Byrds, York worked with Clark during the mid-1980s, along with Pat Robinson, in the group CRY. 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. 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. 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. He released three solo albums, Sacred Path Songs (1991), Claremont Dragon (1998), and Arigatou Baby (2006), and recorded the albums Clan Mother Songs with Jamie Sams, and Koto with Yukiko Matsuyama. In 2008, York teamed-up with singer-songwriter Barry McGuire for a live tour entitled Trippin' the 60's, replacing ex Mason Proffit member Terry Talbot as McGuires touring partner.
The Bees
The Bees
• "Leave Me Be"/"She's an Artist" (7" single – 1965) • "Forget Me Girl"/"Baby, Let Me Follow You Down" (7" single – 1966)
Sir Douglas Quintet
Sir Douglas Quintet
• "She Digs My Love"/"When I Sing the Blues" (7" single – 1966)
The Byrds
The Byrds
• Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde (1969) • "Lay Lady Lay"/"Old Blue" (7" single – 1969) • Ballad of Easy Rider (1969) • Live at the Fillmore – February 1969 (2000)
The Museuns
The Museuns
• "Train in the Desert"/"Sweet Names of Spanish Ladies" (7" single – circa 1974–1976)
John York
John York
• Sacred Path Songs (1991) • Clan Mother Songs [with Jamie Sams] (1992) • Claremont Dragon (1998) • Koto [with Yukiko Matsuyama] (2003) • Arigatou Baby (2006) • West Coast Revelation [with Kim Fowley] (2007) • Trippin' the 60's: The Show Songs Live [with Barry McGuire] (2009) • West Coast Revelation [with Kim Fowley] (GRA Records; 2011)
CRY
CRY
• After the Storm (2000)
Family Tree
Family Tree
• Family Tree [with Skip Battin, Ricky Mantoan, Beppe D'Angelo] (2001)
Selected album guest appearances
Selected album guest appearances
• The Mamas & the Papas – The Papas & The Mamas (1968) • Jack Street Band – Jack Street Band (1982) • Katie Trickett – The Next Time (1994) • Mojave – Tumbleweed Circuit (1995) • Peter Lewis – Peter Lewis (1995) • Nick Binkley – Pin Stripe Brain (1996) • Chris Darrow – Coyote + Straight from the Heart (1997) • Chris Darrow and Max Buda – Harem Girl (1998) • Anita Kruse – Creation Flight (1998) • Toulouse Engelhardt and Remi Kabaka – A Child's Guide to Einstein (2004) • Steven T. – Damage (2004) • Carla Olson – Have Harmony, Will Travel (2013) ~ John sings lead on 2 songs: "First In Line" (written by Paul Kennerley) and "Upon A Painted Ocean" (written by P. F. Sloan). He also plays guitar on the album including on the Richie Furay/Carla Olson version of Gene Clark's "She Don't Care About Time".
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
United States.
Country
White Plains.
Birth place
New York.
Administrative region
Catalogued output
Catalogued works
Those registers additionally record the forms Skinner, John, York-Skinner, John, York Skinner, John and Skinner, John Y.
Context
Primary material
Context
The circumstances in which John York stands. Susan Sessions, William K. Bulkley (Stephen & John) & Broad (Thomas & Alice), White (John I of York) & Wayt (Thomas) / by William K. Godfrey of York: a tale of bumps and books / by John S.
Holdings and surviving copies
Where the work is held
Holdings and surviving copies
Where material relating to John York is held.
Literature
Literature
Literature
York, John Devereux, Benezit Dictionary of Artists, 2011
Dalby of York, John, Benezit Dictionary of Artists, 2011
Scholarly footprint
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Taxim Records. John York Biography.
- 2.Rogan, Johnny. The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited. Rogan House. 279. 1998. 0-9529540-1-X.
- 3.Hjort, Christopher. So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973). Jawbone Press. 190–191. 2008. 978-1-906002-15-2.
- 4.Rogan, Johnny. The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited. Rogan House. 295–299. 1998. 0-9529540-1-X.
- 5.Rogan, Johnny. Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde. Columbia/Legacy. 1997.
- 6.Fricke, David. Live at the Fillmore – February 1969. Columbia/Legacy. 2000.
- 7.Einarson, John. Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of The Byrds' Gene Clark. Backbeat Books. 264–265. 2005. 0-87930-793-5.
- 8.Byrds Flyght. John York Discography.
- 9.johnyorkmusic.com. John York Bio.
- 10.John York on Outsight Radio Hours.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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