hˈɪlɪɚd wʌz bˈɔːɹn ˌɔn mˈeɪ twˈɛnti ˈeɪt, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti sˈɛvən, ɪn ʃᵻkˈɑːɡoʊ, bˌʌt lˈɪvd ɪn ˈɑːɹkənsˌɔː ʌntˈɪl ˈeɪdʒ ˈeɪt, ðˈɛn mˈuːvɪŋ tə pˈoːɹtlənd, ˈɔːɹɪɡən.
Hilliard was born on May 28, 1927, in Chicago, but lived in Arkansas until age 8, then moving to Portland, Oregon.