Was this a theme cruise with a room full of musicians, or were you speaking to a general audience? Newtown Bee: I understand that during last year’s European Tour you were invited to do some lecturing on the Queen Mary 2. He also discussed his “King of the Hill” single, and revealed how his endearing Byrds hit, “Chestnut Mare” originally came to life as part of a failed country western musical called Gene Tryp. ĭuring a candid and exclusive interview with The Newtown Bee ahead of his planned June 12 solo appearance at the Ridgefield Playhouse, McGuinn chatted about the various flavors of folk he enjoys exploring, from traditional cowboy songs, to sea shanties, to music from the deep south and Appalachia. In 1991, McGuinn had another brief return to widespread commercial exposure thanks to a collaboration with Tom Petty that yeilded a solo album, Back From Rio, and a hit song on the radio, “King of the Hill” which also featured old pals Hillman and Crosby.įour years later, McGuinn decided he would start using the Internet to begin curating vast selections of folk tunes which still endures today at. He drove so many guitarists to that unique sounding instrument that the company eventually designed and named a specially designed 12-string model in McGuinn’s name.Īfter the Byrds split, there was a brief reunion of McGuinn, Clarke and Hillman in the late ‘70s, and by 1981, McGuinn was back on his own once again feeling the rootsy beckoning of the folk music that was his artistic bedrock. A short time later, David Crosby drifted into the mix and the Byrds foundation blocks were in place.īy 1965, the Byrds, now with Michael Clarke and Chris Hillman rounding out the ensemble, had their first hit with “Mr Tambourine Man.” Nearly three years later, Gram Parsons joined the band, the Byrds headed for Nashville and tracked one of their most acclaimed albums, Sweethearts of the Rodeo.īy this time audiences across the globe knew McGuinn as much for the songs he wrote and sang for the Byrds, as they knew him by the sound of his jangling electric 12-string Rickenbacker guitar. From there he hit the road with Bobby Darin and ended up getting recruited to New York where he went to work as a songwriter for Darin’s publishing house, TM Music.Īt TM, McGuinn first heard The Beatles, and he began integrating rock and roll elements into the country and folk material he was weaving, showcasing that hybrid sound in the coffee houses of Greenwich Village on nights and weekendsįollowing another move back to Los Angeles, McGuinn was approached one night after a set at the famed Troubador by Gene Clark who was interested in forming a new band.
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Soon after graduation, McGuinn was off and running toward the west coast where he got his first professional gigs playing on the Limeliters album Tonight: In Person, and on the Chad Mitchell Trio’s album Mighty Day on Campus.
That led him to begin exploring rudimentary guitar licks picking along to the stylings of artists from Johnny Cash to Carl Perkins, while also digging the tight harmonies and catchy lyrics of The Everly Brothers.īy 1957, McGuinn had picked up a five string banjo and was headed off to the Old Town School of Music where he began developing a talent for both banjo and guitar and an affinity for the work of folk pioneer Bob Gibson. McGuinn, born James Joseph and later adopting the alternate handle Roger, was growing up in Chicago in the 1950s when he like millions of other kids around the globe, became hooked on the energized rock-a-billy of early Elvis Presley. And the celebrated musician has found himself not only enjoying, but delving deep into the music of his youth - American folk. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, solo artist and Byrds front man and primary songwriter Roger McGuinn has reached a point in his nearly 60 year musical journey where he has arrived back where he started.
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