Joseph Byrd

Joseph Hunter Byrd Jr. (December 19, 1937 – November 2, 2025) was an American composer, musician and academic. After first becoming known as an experimental composer in New York City and Los Angeles, he became the leader of the psychedelic rock band The United States of America, an innovative but short-lived band which integrated psychedelic rock, 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.