Joseph Byrd, the influential American musician and composer best known for leading the experimental psychedelic rock band The United States of America, died suddenly on November 2, 2025, at the age of 87.
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His family confirmed his passing to the Los Angeles Times. He passed away at his home in Medford, Oregon. They did not disclose any cause of death. Although he passed late last year, his death was only recently made public.
Byrd, born December 19, 1937, in Louisville, Kentucky, first made his mark in the vibrant avant-garde music scene of the early 1960s. After moving to New York City, he studied and collaborated with pioneering composers, including John Cage and LaMonte Young, and became part of the experimental Fluxus movement. His first public performance reportedly took place at the famed artist Yoko Ono’s New York loft.
In 1967, after relocating to Los Angeles, Byrd co-founded The United States of America with vocalist Dorothy Moskowitz. The group, active only through 1968, became known for its bold blend of psychedelia, musique concrète and early electronic elements. Their self-titled album, released in 1968, featured synthesizers and tape manipulation that were groundbreaking for its time and later cited as a major influence on experimental pop and post-rock artists.
Joseph Byrd Continued To Pus Music After ‘The United States Of America’
Although the band split shortly after recording their lone album, its reputation grew over the decades, gaining cult status among psych-rock aficionados and serving as a reference point for later musicians exploring the boundaries of rock and electronic sound.
Following The United States of America’s dissolution, Byrd continued to push musical boundaries. In 1969 he released The American Metaphysical Circus under the name Joe Byrd & the Field Hippies, an album that further showcased his adventurous spirit. Over the ensuing years, he also worked as a composer for film and television, contributed to other artists’ projects and became a respected educator, teaching American music at institutions including California State University, Fullerton.
Friends, collaborators and fans remember Byrd as a visionary whose career bridged avant-garde composition and rock innovation.