Roger McGuinn
Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn /məˈɡwɪn/ known professionally as Roger McGuinn and previously as Jim McGuinn, is an American musician. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of the Byrds' records, and is a very influential pioneer guitarist. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionGuitarist
Date of Birth13 July 1942
CityChicago, IL
CountryUnited States of America
I started playing guitar back in '56. I was a teenager, and guitars had just come in, and I had a thing for it and got one. Started learning lead breaks from songs, because that was the easiest thing to do at the time. I had the guitar for two years before I learned any chords. Really.
I've always considered myself a folk singer, even though we strapped on Rickenbacker guitars and played pretty loud.
Leadbelly's guitar is in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame.
I don't really collect guitars.
The first 12-string guitar I bought was probably around 1957.
...Scotty Moore plays one of the first really amazing riffs in rock history on Heartbreak Hotel with Elvis Presley ... it was dangerous, it scared everybodys parents, which was part of the attraction then - as it still is now... it totally blindsided me and made me want to get a guitar and do that ...
The wonderful thing about having your songs on the radio is that people are going to go out to your concerts and buy your merchandise and that sort of thing, and it feels good to get that level of name recognition.
I was raised a Roman Catholic and had to go to the eight o'clock Mass every morning and have communion and wear a tie, kind of like a restricted life style. Then in the '60s, we got wild and let it go and started looking in other places to see where God really was, and I came back to the Christian thing.
When The Byrds started country-rock, we had no idea there would be such a thing. We were just trying to honor the music. We started listening to country radio. We went to Nudie's and got cowboy clothes.
People have told me that other artists have been influenced by my music, and it's flattering. It's a wonderful thing.
I'm a huge fan of home recording. I think it levels the playing field. You don't need $100,000 to record a studio CD.
I went to school for folk music back when I was a teenager and learned hundreds of songs.
I love being a troubadour. I travel around the world with my wife and play little theaters. We have a ball.
I don't want to be an oldies act, kind of dragging around on the road just for the money.