Last Updated on November 15, 2024
Rock and roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn and his wife, Camilla, recently stopped by the Growing Bolder Radio Show for the entire hour, and our cameras were rolling. With his guitar in hand, Roger takes an intimate look back at his 50 years in the music business and tells us how he continues to grow and evolve.
Go behind the scenes for an unforgettable session with a legend.
In Part 3, Roger gives us another unique history lesson about a classic song. First, find out what it was like for the still-broke Byrds to suddenly be the band behind the country’s hottest song and about some of the smaller parties they played in the early days, including Jane Fonda’s birthday party.
Then, Roger talks about creating a new sound with his now-famous 12-string Rickenbacker guitar and reveals who influenced his style. And Roger gets out his guitar to explain how he learned “Turn! Turn! Turn!” from Pete Seeger and put his own “Beatle beat” on it, turning it into one of the most beloved songs of all time.
Keep watching below for our exclusive look back at the history of rock with one of its most legendary and gifted singer/songwriters. You can also listen to an audio version of the complete hour by clicking here.
Click here to watch Part 1, during which Roger explains how his parents’ “fear” of Elvis Presley made him want to play music even more, and he describes the earliest days of The Byrds.
Click here to watch Part 2 and listen to Roger tackle his group’s breakthrough hit — Mr. Tambourine Man. He shows us how the song started as a demo and recalls how his bandmate David Crosby felt the original version would never play on radio. See for yourself how Roger tweaked the song and turned it into the classic that we all know and love today.
Click here to watch Part 4, and find out what life on the road is like for Roger these days. He explains why he’s very specific in the venues he chooses and what prompted him to leave the big record labels behind and become his own company. And Roger gets out this guitar for one of his newer songs, “On and On.” Roger says he wrote the song about his life in the early 1960s when he was working for Bobby Darin and playing in coffeehouses in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Click here to watch Part 5, and listen to Roger describe his Grammy-nominated Folk Den Project and explain why he felt such an urgency to preserve the songs and history of folk music. And Camilla opens up about their 30-plus years of marriage and reveals how their shared faith in God is a key part of their successful relationship.
Want more Roger? Click on the Related Media tab for more exclusive videos, including a recording session for his Grammy-winning Folk Den Project and see how he’s turned into one of the greenest rockers around.
