 After Gram Parsons ' departure , McGuinn and Hillman decided to recruit noted session guitarist Clarence White as a full @-@ time member of the band in late July 1968 . White , who had contributed countrified guitar playing to every Byrds ' album since 1967 's Younger Than Yesterday , was brought in at Hillman 's suggestion as someone who could handle the band 's older rock repertoire and their newer country @-@ oriented material . Shortly after his induction into the band , White began to express dissatisfaction with drummer Kevin Kelley and soon persuaded McGuinn and Hillman to replace him with Gene Parsons ( no relation to Gram ) , who White had previously played with in the country rock band Nashville West . 
