Michael Clarke, drummer for The Byrds, kept performing until the very end of his life, even after multiple hospital stays made it clear his time was running out. His family later honored his legacy by fulfilling his final, touching wish. Clarke could have followed his father’s path as a craftsman, but he developed a passion for music early on, inspired by his mother, who was a musician herself. He was never satisfied with the life he seemed headed toward, so in the early 1960s, at just 17 years old, he left his hometown of Spokane, Washington, and hitchhiked to California with dreams of becoming a rock and roll star.
Without a concrete plan, he bought a pair of bongo drums and began playing on the beach to earn money. That is where fate intervened. Famous musician David Crosby happened to pass by, was immediately impressed by Clarke’s performance, and invited the drummer to join his newly formed band, The Byrds. Clarke was clearly at a disadvantage compared to the other original members, most of whom had been playing their instruments for years.
He entered the band as a relative novice, having only played drums occasionally while growing up. What he lacked in experience, however, he made up for with a willingness to learn. There was one major problem: he had no drum kit of his own. He only had a pair of drumsticks and some creativity, so he built a makeshift kit out of cardboard boxes and a tambourine to use as cymbals, practicing on that until he could get real equipment.
Given these drawbacks, one might wonder why The Byrds were so eager to have him. The truth, as lead guitarist Roger McGuinn later revealed, was more superficial than expected: Clarke was hired because he resembled Brian Jones, the guitarist of The Rolling Stones. But while they got the look they wanted, they also had to deal with the downsides. Clarke was not only the least experienced member, but he quickly proved to be noticeably less talented than his bandmates.
As a result, he rarely contributed to songwriting on their early albums, and during recording or rehearsal sessions, it was not uncommon for the band to bring in another drummer as a substitute. This led to speculation that grew over the years. Rumors began to spread that most of the band’s early work was actually recorded by unknown professional musicians. The claim turned out to be false—leaked recordings of their sessions clearly showed all the band members playing their own material—but the rumor persisted for years before the truth came out.
Fortunately, Clarke did not have to settle for his cardboard drum kit forever. After the band watched The Beatles’ film “A Hard Day’s Night,” they decided to equip themselves with similar instruments, including a Ludwig drum kit for Clarke. Less than a year after the band was officially formed, The Byrds signed with Columbia Records and recorded their first single, “Mr. Tambourine Man,” released on April 12, 1965.
The public loved it immediately. The song topped both the U. S. Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, and the band changed the face of music in the process.
The Byrds continued to produce hits, but as time went on, they wanted to explore and develop their sound. After recording “Eight Miles High” in 1965, it became clear to Clarke that they were moving away from their folk rock roots toward psychedelic rock. This new direction did not sit well with him. The band suffered its first loss in 1966 when singer Gene Clark left due to his severe fear of flying and growing feelings of isolation.
Clarke, perhaps feeling his position was weak given his rare contributions to songwriting, grew increasingly bitter and could not accept the band’s new creative path. In the summer of 1967, while the band was recording their album “The Notorious Byrd Brothers,” Clarke’s grievances came to a head. He walked out of the session, forcing the band to replace him. He later calmed down, however, and agreed to rejoin in time to record the song “Artificial Energy.
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This time, it was his bandmates’ turn to say enough was enough. They felt Clarke only brought frustration due to his lack of skill and negative attitude, and they fired him immediately after finishing the album. The story became subject to speculation. Chris Hillman offered a different version of events in his memoir, claiming Clarke left again of his own accord, surprising the rest of the band.
Regardless of how it happened, Clarke found himself at a new crossroads. Disillusioned with the music industry, he moved to Hawaii, where he took up painting and worked in hotels to support himself. But he soon missed music. When the opportunity arose to reunite with Gene Clark and his new band, Dillard & Clark, Michael agreed to join.
Later, he hooked up with Chris Hillman and his new partner Graham Parsons in their band The Flying Burrito Brothers. As the 1970s approached, the original members of The Byrds began considering a reunion. Gene and Michael found it easy to agree with each other, working together whenever possible. In the mid-1980s, Gene released a solo album called “Firebird” and used his new band, The Firebirds, to promote it, which Michael was happy to join.
Eventually, the two musicians decided to perform several shows together, calling themselves “The 20th Anniversary Tribute to The Byrds. ” Given the length of the name, it was only a matter of time before venues simply billed them as “The Byrds,” widening the rift between all the founding members. After Gene moved on to other pursuits, Michael kept the band alive under the name “A Tribute to The Byrds. ” By 1987, he was performing under the name “The Byrds” itself, and he would continue leading this version of the band for the rest of his life.
This created ongoing problems with his former bandmates. Since the other original members were vocal about not wanting to perform under the name again, Michael was the only musician actually playing under it. Many considered him the owner of the name, which led founding members David Crosby, Roger McGuinn, and Chris Hillman to take legal action. They sued Clarke, accusing him of unfair competition and seeking an injunction against his use of the name.
To support their case, they announced several upcoming shows in the late 1980s under the name “The Byrds,” despite their earlier reluctance. Gene Clark, who had played in a tribute band, was excluded from their version. Their tour was undeniably successful, which they believed strengthened their case. However, the judge did not rule in their favor.
The court declared that Clarke’s new band was not causing them any actual harm and granted Clarke legal ownership of the band name. The three founders had no choice but to drop their lawsuit. Clarke devoted the next few decades to his music, determined to stay in the industry at any cost. But the rock star lifestyle eventually took its toll.
Behind all his tireless work was an unhealthy life of heavy drinking, and he reached a point where he could not stay out of the hospital. Time was said to heal all wounds, and for Michael Clarke and the rest of The Byrds, it proved true. In 1991, on the occasion of their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, all the founding members of The Byrds came together for one last concert. Michael and Gene had always shared a closer bond than the others, being the first two to leave the band.
Sadly, their friendship ended tragically when Gene Clark died of a heart attack just a few months after the reunion show. Michael knew his own time was approaching as well. By the late 1980s, he had received the worst news of his life. His doctors were blunt about his condition, telling him his liver damage was so severe he would not live more than a few years.
He had entered the music world at a young age and fallen victim to its most dangerous aspects. Hoping to protect vulnerable children from developing the same unhealthy habits, he often spoke of wanting to appear on television to raise awareness about alcoholism. It was a dream he never saw fulfilled. Despite knowing his time was short, Clarke continued to schedule as many concerts as he could.
On December 19, 1993, he died of liver failure at his home. In the end, he still managed to make a difference, though not exactly in the way he had imagined. At the time of his death, Clarke was dating a woman named Susan Boll. Understanding his goal of warning young people about alcoholism, she founded an organization in his honor called the Campaign for a Alcohol-Free Children.
The band’s legacy continued as well. Following Clarke’s lead, former member Terry Jones Rogers reformed a tribute band in memory of Clarke, joined by other band members and musicians. The battle over The Byrds’ name did not end with Clarke’s death. Ownership of the name passed to his estate, which made acquiring it easier.
In 2002, founding member David Crosby put an end to the whole matter by buying the rights himself. Despite all the ugliness surrounding the name rights disputes, Clarke’s former bandmates had only kind words for him. Chris Hillman specifically stated that he and the other members held no grudge against Clarke, saying he was a wonderful person.