![]() The recording “Treasure From the Folk Den” received a Grammy nomination in 2002. In 1996 he released his autobiographical one man show on Hollywood Records, “Live From Mars.” The Jayhawks joined him for two studio recordings, “May The Road Rise To Meet You” and “Fireworks.”Īppleseed Records invited Roger to record some of his favorite folk songs with the vanguards of folk music: Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Jean Ritche, Josh White Jr and his guitar teacher Frank Hamilton and his wife Mary. It is carried by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a public service. He hasn’t missed a month since November 1995. He decided to post an original folk song with a live recording on his web page each month. He had always been interested in technology and the world wide web was coming of age. No one was recording the songs of over one hundred years ago, so he had an idea. In 1995 Roger became concerned the traditional folk songs were being lost. It was the last vinyl record in his catalogue. In 1991 just after the BYRDS were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he recorded on Arista Records his acclaimed “Back From Rio” album with a host of friends, including Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, David Crosby, Chris Hillman and others. ![]() In 1978 he joined with Gene Clark and Chris Hillman for 3 albums on Capitol Records. He recorded five solo albums on Columbia Records. He says that the BYRDS were a nice detour on his way to his dream. Roger (he had changed his name) disbanded the BYRDS in 1973 to pursue his dream of being a folk singer like Pete Seeger. He had been an arranger in NYC, so adding a Bach type intro and a Beatle Beat took the song “Mr Tambourine Man” to the number one slot across the world. Jim had an idea on how to fix the folkie song. Their first single was penned by Bob Dylan but when the group heard the demo, they weren’t too impressed. It was the beginning of a musical revolution.ĭavid Crosby, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke joined the duo and history was about to be made. ![]() The folk audience didn’t appreciate the combination of folk songs and a Beatle Beat anymore than the folkies in Greenwich village but there was one musician that did. He sang harmony on Hoyt’s “Balladeer” album. Hoyt Axton was the first person to invite Jim to sing on a recording. He needed to get out of New York so he accepted a job in Los Angeles at the Troubadour folk club, opening up for Hoyt Axton. He put a sign outside advertising “Beatle Impersonations” … which McGuinn found embarrassing. The performances did not endear him to the folk singers of the time, but the club owner loved it. He was drawn to the idea and began singing ‘rocked up’ folk music in Greenwich Village coffee houses. The Beatles were using folk music chords with a rock beat. It was at the Brill Building that Jim first heard the most fascinating music come over the radio. He became Judy Collins’ musical director, helped Paul Simon record the demo for “Sound of Silence” and was very active in the recording business as the “go to” guy for 12-string guitar. It was a day job, so in the evenings Jim would work as a studio musician in the City. When Bobby decided to take a break from performing live, he invited Jim to join him in New York city to work at the famed Brill Building as a songwriter for TM Music. Darin asked Jim to play his guitar and sing a 15 minute set of folk songs in the middle of his variety concert. He toured with the CMT for a year or so but when Bobby Darin saw him performing, he immediately offered McGuinn a job paying twice what he was making with Mitchell. The Limeliters sent him an airplane ticket to Los Angeles to play guitar and banjo on their RCA album “Tonight in Person.” It was during that recording time that he joined them at the Hollywood Bowl opening up for Eartha Kit.”Ĭhad Mitchell heard about McGuinn’s abilities and asked him to join his group, “The Chad Mitchell Trio” as the accompanist on guitar and banjo. Jim McGuinn (he changed his name later to Roger) began playing guitar when he was 14 and left Chicago for his first professional job at 17. An Evening with Roger McGuinn begins with the stage dark and the sound of Roger’s 12-string Rickenbacker guitar filling the house as he approaches the standing microphone to sing his signature Bob Dylan song “My Back Pages.” He always begins his concerts with this song because he takes the audience on the journey through which his love of folk music took him to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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