Photo Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

On Wednesday afternoon at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, Calif., the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum announced its next major exhibition: Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock.  The announcement at the famed venue was one of two simultaneous events- the other at Nashville’s Ford Theater- and included a two-song performance by multiple Grammy-award winner Dwight Yoakam and country-rock pioneer Chris Hillman.  The duo delivered acoustic takes of The Byrds’ “Time Between” and the Flying Burrito Brothers’ “Sin City.”

Yoakam introduced the pair of songs with several compliments for the Country Music Hall of Fame and, particularly, for his Troubadour duet partner.  Yoakam praised Hillman for his influential work with The Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers- Yoakam calling them the “Jet-Age cowboys on the Sunset Strip”- saying their music inspired his move to California as a young musician.

Hillman is “the Godfather of country rock.  Without the hyphen,” Yoakam said.

“King of country rock,” Hillman corrected, with a laugh

Western Edge’s three-year installment at the Hall of Fame will commence with an opening weekend that features a pair of one-of-a-kind concerts in the museum’s CMA Theater:

Western Edge: Los Angeles Country-Rock in Concert – Friday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. An all-star lineup of musical luminaries associated with country-rock will perform, along with torchbearers who have been influenced by the sounds and artists from the Los Angeles music scene. Performers include Dave Alvin (the Blasters, the Knitters), Alison Brown (in tribute to California bluegrass), Rodney Dillard (the Dillards), Rosie Flores, Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield, Poco), Jeff Hanna (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Chris Hillman (the Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, Desert Rose Band), Bernie Leadon (Hearts & Flowers, Flying Burrito Brothers, the Eagles), John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Wendy Moten (in tribute to Linda Ronstadt) and Herb Pedersen (Desert Rose Band and instrumentalist for Linda Ronstadt, Gram Parsons and many more). The house band will be led by Grammy-winning guitar virtuoso and multi-instrumentalist John Jorgenson and includes JayDee Maness (steel guitar), Steve Duncan (drums) and Mark Fain (bass). More performers to be added.

Desert Rose Band – Sunday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. For the first time in more than a decade, the Desert Rose Band will reunite for a special concert. In 1986, former member of the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers Chris Hillman founded the band with Herb Pedersen and John Jorgensen. The original lineup included Bill Bryson (bass guitar), JayDee Maness (pedal steel guitar) and Steve Duncan (drums). Original members of the band will take the stage for the highly anticipated event, with acclaimed Nashville bassist Mark Fain replacing the late Bill Bryson. The Grammy-nominated group has earned hit singles and won multiple awards from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association.

Tickets to the events will go on sale to the public this Friday, June 24, at 10 a.m. here.