Jon Byrd

{{Infobox person

| name = Jon Byrd

| image = Jon Byrd performing live in 2014.png

| caption = Byrd performing live with A Course of Action in 2014

| birth_name = Jonathan Ashley Byrd

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|07|30}}

| birth_place = Morganton, North Carolina

| nationality = American

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Musician{{cite web |title=BYRD JONATHAN ASHLEY - BMI SONGVIEW DATABASE |url=https://repertoire.bmi.com/Search/Catalog?Num=26k6zgRDDrDen4PaAS%252fw0A%253d%253d&Cae=JbpzuheObmLGOXjcDd12IA%253d%253d&Search=%7B%22Main_Search_Text%22%3A%22BYRD%20JONATHAN%20ASHLEY%22%2C%22Sub_Search_Text%22%3Anull%2C%22Main_Search%22%3A%22Writer%2FComposer%22%2C%22Sub_Search%22%3Anull%2C%22Search_Type%22%3A%22all%22%2C%22View_Count%22%3A100%2C%22Page_Number%22%3A0%2C%22Part_Type%22%3Anull%2C%22Part_Id%22%3Anull%2C%22Part_Id_Sub%22%3Anull%2C%22Part_Name%22%3Anull%2C%22Part_Cae%22%3Anull%2C%22Original_Search%22%3Anull%2C%22DisclaimerViewed%22%3Anull%7D&PartType=WriterList&ResetPageNumber=True&PartIdSub=oQ5QPfxeuXXa%252bYwl37rzbA%253d%253d |website=BMI Songview Database |publisher=BMI |access-date=14 May 2025}}

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| years_active = 1986–2016

| spouse = {{ubl|

{{marriage|Sheree Burns Byrd|2010|}}

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| children =

| module = {{Infobox musical artist |embed=yes

| background = guitarist

| instrument = {{flatlist|

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| genre = {{flatlist|

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| label = {{flatlist|

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| past_member_of = {{flatlist|

Copperhead{{cite web |title=Interview With Copperhead - Bands of Dixie Magazine #53 - December 2006 |url=https://sweethomemusic.fr/Interviews/CarswellUS.php |website=Sweet Home Music |publisher=Luc Brunot |access-date=14 May 2025}}
Jonas Ridge{{cite web |title=History and Profile of the 1990s alt rock band, 'Jonas Ridge' |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/16127154-Jonas-Ridge |website=Discogs |publisher=Jonas Ridge (band) |access-date=14 May 2025}}
A Course of Action{{cite web |title=Band Biography - A Course of Action (2008) |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006055617/http://www.acourseofaction.com/whoarewe.cfm |website=acourseofaction.com/whoweare |publisher=Spire Records |access-date=6 October 2008}}

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| website =

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Jonathan Ashley Byrd (born July 30, 1971), known professionally as Jon Byrd, is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the 1990s southern rock band, Copperhead.{{cite web |title=Allmusic Database: Copperhead (1990s Southern rock band) |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/copperhead-mn0000780422#credits |website=Allmusic |publisher=Mercury |access-date=14 May 2025}} The group achieved mainstream success with the release of their 1992 self-titled debut album which spawned four singles, with Whiskey achieving notable success on AOR radio in 1993.{{cite web |title=US AOR Tracks Chart (R&R) - COPPERHEAD / Whiskey - March 19, 1993 (Mercury Records) |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Archive-RandR/1990s/1993/RR-1993-03-19.pdf |website=World Radio History |publisher=R&R Magazine (1993) |access-date=14 May 2025}}{{cite web |title=The Copperhead Story (The full story behind the recording of the band's 1992 debut album for Mercury Records) |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030510004645/http://www.eastwindsrecords.com/page/page/387389.htm |website=eastwindsrecords.com |publisher=Eastwinds Records |access-date=10 May 2003}} By 1994 internal conflicts and growing tension amongst band members led to their complete breakup in 1995, in 1997 Byrd along with fellow Copperhead bassist Tony Hawkins formed a new band named “Jonas Ridge” and released their self-titled debut album, however Jonas Ridge did not last, and by 2000, Byrd and Hawkins formed an alternative rock band named “Hybrid” with John Culberson as lead vocalist and would later rebrand their name to "A Course of Action" in November 2006.{{cite web |title=My Global Mind: A Course of Action (Band History, Music Reviews, Discography) |url=https://myglobalmind.com/2013/01/27/a-course-of-action-dark-before-the-dawn-review/#google_vignette |website=myglobalmind.com |publisher=My Global Mind Web Staff |access-date=27 January 2013}}

Copperhead is often referred to as the last great southern rock band from the analog era and in the decades since their disbandment has gained a cult-like following from southern rock enthusiasts and still continue to gain new followers due to their song placements in classic movies like Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man and Dr. Giggles.{{cite web |title=Copperhead (Southern rock band) Music Placements - IMdb |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7361491/?ref_=ttsnd |website=imdb.com |publisher=Mercury Records |access-date=13 May 2025}}

Career

=Copperhead (1986–1995)=

Byrd co-founded Copperhead in 1986 in Morganton, North Carolina, alongside vocalist Neil Carswell. The band built a local following through outdoor performances in Burke County before signing an eight-album deal with Mercury Records in 1992.{{cite web |title=Band Profile: Copperhead |url=https://www.spirit-of-rock.com/de/band/Copperhead |website=spirit-of-rock.com |publisher=Spirit of Rock |access-date=13 May 2025}} Their self-titled debut album, produced by former Lynyrd Skynyrd producers Tom Dowd and mixed by Rodney Mills, was released the same year.{{cite web |title=How 'Copperhead' brought Tom Dowd & Rodney Mills to work together for the first time since Lynyrd Skynyrd 1977 album "Street Survivors" |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060430053235/http://neilcarswell.com/about.htm |website=Neil Carswell |publisher=Dirk Peterson |access-date=30 April 2006}} It featured singles including "Whiskey" and "The Scar", which received regional and national airplay on rock radio formats. The band’s song "Long Way from Home" was featured on the soundtrack of the 1991 film Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man. {{cite web |title=Album Description and Band Information: Copperhead - Live & Lost |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828050914/http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/copperheadrock/from/indiear |website=Copperhead Archive |access-date=28 August 2006}}

Copperhead toured nationally with bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, .38 Special, and Foreigner but in 1994 after internal conflicts within the band, being unable to get along to complete tour dates, failure to appear in the studio to work on new material, along with the rise of grunge reduced commercial support for southern rock, Mercury terminated the band’s record deal. As tensions continued and the band struggled to function, lead singer Neil Carswell accused other members of jealousy over his public recognition as the band’s frontman. He left the group in early 1995 to pursue a solo career. Byrd, Hawkins, Durden, and Suttlemyre continued briefly with a D.B. Bryant as lead vocalist, though this was short-lived and within months disbanded completely.{{cite web |title=Copperhead replaced original singer Neil Carswell with fellow southern rock singer D.B. Bryant - The Comment Section: March 4, 2004 |url=https://heavyharmonies.com/cgi-bin/glamcd.cgi?BandNum=1340&CDName=Copperhead |website=Heavy Harmonies |publisher=Kaelib |access-date=4 March 2004}}

=Jonas Ridge (1996–2000)=

Following the demise of Copperhead in 1995, Byrd and Hawkins co-founded the band Jonas Ridge in 1996, alongside vocalist Jason Davis and drummer Okey Parsons. The band blended elements of alternative rock and post-grunge in the style of Matchbox Twenty and Sister Hazel.

In 1997, Jonas Ridge independently released their self-titled debut album, Jonas Ridge. The album featured 11 tracks, including "Talk," "Inside," and "Peace of Mind."{{cite web |title=Jonas Ridge - Jonas Ridge (1997) 11 Tracks - Independent Release |url=https://heavyharmonies.com/cgi-bin/band.cgi?BandNum=2414 |website=heavyharmonies.com |publisher=Jason Davis |access-date=13 May 2025}} Despite the album's moderate success and the band's active performance schedule, Jonas Ridge disbanded in 2000 shortly after they finished recording their second full-length album at Trees Studios in Hickory, North Carolina that went unreleased but later uploaded on the internet by the band members in the early 2020s. The experience and musical synergy from this laid the groundwork for Byrd’s subsequent formation of the next band, A Course of Action.{{cite web |title=Jonas Ridge's Unreleased Second Album (Tree Studios, circa 2000) |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250514001632/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dFRq_6Gm5k |website=archive.org |publisher=Helter Shelter Records |access-date=14 May 2025}}

=Hybrid, A Course of Action (2000–2016)=

After Jonas Ridge ended Byrd and Hawkins once again formed a new band together originally named "Hybrid" along with Jonas Ridge drummer Okey Parsons and new lead vocalist, John Culberson.{{cite web |title=The Hybrid Band Bio (2003) |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031218231545/http://www.thehybridband.com/bio.asp |website=thehybridband.com |publisher=Hybrid (band) |access-date=14 May 2025}} By 2003 the band began to craft their new sound with a more hard rock sound but also sticking to a formula like that of alternative rock and alternative metal bands like A Perfect Circle, Deftones, and Chevelle.{{cite web |title=A COURSE OF ACTION - PROFILE - HISTORY - SOUND - INFLUENCE |url=https://museboat.com/responsive/artists/A%20COURSE%20OF%20ACTION.html |website=museboat.com |publisher=MuseBoat |access-date=14 May 2025}} The band recruited lead singer John Culberson in 2003, releasing their self-titled debut album in 2004 and their 2006 “Now You See” -EP before rebranding the band’s name as A Course of Action in November 2006.{{cite web |title=Band Bio: Hybrid / A Course of Action, explanation of name change, new music |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130050214/http://www.sellaband.com/acourseofaction/ |website=sellaband.com |publisher=Management |access-date=30 January 2009}}

The group released their first full-length album under the name A Course of Action on May 1, 2011 via the band's own independent record label Spire Records. The album spawned the single “Never There”, which received moderate satellite radio play in 2013{{cite web |title=A Course of Action's single “Never There” charts on 'Untapped Radio’s Top 10' peaking at #2 |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420163908/http://www.rockrevoltmagazine.com/acourseofactioninterview/ |website=Rock Revolt Magazine |publisher=Rick Lindner |access-date=11 February 2013}}{{cite web |title=INTERVIEW: A COURSE OF ACTION – JOHN CULBERSON |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140807015453/http://www.rockrevoltmagazine.com/acourseofactioninterview/ |website=rockrevoltmagazine.com |access-date=7 August 2014}}

In early 2014 A Course of Action released a demo version of their new song “Who We Are” as a free download on their Reverbnation profile that went viral and achieved great regional success on local and satellite radio, also earning the band a nomination for the “Rock Band of the Year” award at the 2014 North Carolina Music Awards, although they lost to the band "What Happened Yesterday".{{cite web |title=Carolina Music Awards Nominees List for the 2014 "Rock Band of the Year" |url=https://open.spotify.com/album/73OWPFUE3rdzzjxq3HH2CT |website=Spotify |publisher=Carolina Music Awards |access-date=14 May 2025}}{{cite web |title=Who We Are - A Course of Action (Carolina Music Awards Rock Compilation, Vol. 1 2014) |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/who-we-are-mt0052663119 |website=allmusic.com |publisher=Staff |access-date=14 May 2025}} The widespread success and viral attention “Who We Are” brought to the band led them to being booked to perform at the 2014 Rocklahoma music festival, prompting the band to release a new EP, Rocklahoma, to promote their new material to a national audience.{{cite web |title=A Course of Action readies for Rocklahoma Music Festival with new EP "Rocklahoma" |url=https://musictalkers.com/latest-news/2945-a-course-of-action-lands-a-spot-on-the-rocklahoma-lineup |website=Music Talkers |publisher=Staff |access-date=22 January 2015}}{{cite web |title=ROCKLAHOMA MUSIC FESTIVAL 2014 DAILY BAND LINEUP ANNOUNCED |url=https://eddietrunk.com/rocklahoma-2104-daily-band-lineup-announced/ |website=eddietrunk.com |publisher=Dana |access-date=14 April 2014}}

Byrd continued to achieve success with A Course of Action throughout 2014 which included touring as support for the bands Saving Abel, Tantric, Saliva, Puddle of Mudd, Nothing More, and Halestorm and also performing at the 2014 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally with Buckcherry.{{cite web |title=A Course of Action Brings Metal Edge and Southern Roots to Final Night of August Music Festival |url=https://www.buffalochip.com/bands/2014-bands-and-entertainment/a-course-of-action/ |website=buffalochip.com |publisher=Buffalo Chip Campground |access-date=1 June 2014}}

In January 2015 it was announced the band was signing a record deal with Star 1 Music Group to release their new album, which was later revealed to be titled Treason, scheduled for release on June 8, 2015.{{cite web |title=We are delighted to report that our first Star 1 Records release, Treason, is officially scheduled to be released on 6/8/15 through a global distribution agreement with InGrooves, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318160056/http://acourseofaction.com/2015/05/08/ingrooves-releases-treason-june-8/ |website=acourseofaction.com |publisher=Sheree Burns |access-date=18 March 2016}} The album produced the three singles "Beautiful", "107", and "Who We Are" before Byrd announced his departure from the band in April 2016 citing he will be retiring from the music industry. Although the band initially announced plans to continue after Byrd’s exit, A Course of Action has remained on indefinite hiatus and appears to have dissolved.

Retirement from music (2016-present)

Since retiring from the music industry after his departure from A Course of Action, Byrd has launched various projects including his own grocery store and organic food market in Connelly Springs, North Carolina. His family also owns and operates the seafood restaurant “Tex’s Fish Camp” in Connelly Springs as well.

In 2018 Byrd began teaching music and began giving guitar lessons in his private home studio on top of his other endeavors. In 2024 he announced he opened his home studio commercially and will serve as a session musician or as an in-house producer to patrons.

Discography

=With Copperhead=

Copperhead (1992)
Born Loser -EP (1993)
Live & Lost (2002)

=With Jonas Ridge=

Jonas Ridge (1997)

=With A Course of Action=

Hybrid (2004)
Now You See -EP (2006)
Dark Before the Dawn (2011)
Rocklahoma -EP (2014)
Treason (2015)

{{cite web |title=Jon Byrd (rock guitarist) - Complete Discography |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/7968106-Jon-Byrd-2 |website=discogs.com |publisher=Mercury Records, Eastwinds Records, Spire Records, Star 1 Music Group, Ingrooves Music |access-date=14 May 2025}}