Joseph Byrd | |
|---|---|
 Byrd, c.1968 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joseph Hunter Byrd Jr. |
| Also known as | Joe Byrd |
| Born | December 19, 1937 Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
| Genres | Experimental music, minimal music, postmodern music, psychedelic rock, experimental rock, parlour music |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, arranger, producer, vocalist, educator |
| Instrument(s) | Piano, organ, synthesizer, calliope, harp, vocals |
| Years active | Late 1950s–present |
Joseph Hunter Byrd Jr. (born December 19, 1937) is an American composer, musician and academic. After first becoming known as an experimental composer in New York City and Los Angeles in the early and mid-1960s, he became the leader of The United States of America, an innovative but short-lived band that integrated electronic sound and radical political ideas into rock music. In 1968 he recorded the album The American Metaphysical Circus, credited to Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies. After working as a record producer, arranger, and soundtrack composer, he became a university teacher in music history and theory.