Quotes by Roger McGuinn

About Roger McGuinn:

James Roger McGuinn is an American musician. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with The Byrds.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

I think what makes the Byrds stand up all these years is the basis in folk music. Folk music, being a timeless art form, is the foundation of the Byrds. We were all from a folk background. We considered ourselves folk singers even when we strapped on...

Roger McGuinn

That's one of the things I like best about folk music is the beautiful melodies - and the harmonies - that exist in it. And of course, some of the stories, the story songs.

Roger McGuinn

Now, you can just get a laptop, get some software, put a microphone on it and make a record. You have to know how to do it. It does help if you've had 35 or 40 years of experience in the studio. But, it still levels the playing field so artists can r...

Roger McGuinn

I think the good thing about the Internet is to give something away and to sell something else. Get a business model like that because the old brick and mortar record stores are falling apart, and the big record companies are collapsing under their o...

Roger McGuinn

To me, being in the big time is not that big of a deal. I've been there; I know what it is. It's exciting, but it's also a lot of work and pressure. I love sort of flying under the radar where we can play theaters and sell CD's on the Internet, and i...

Roger McGuinn

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.

Roger McGuinn

I got into computers back in the early '80s, so it was a natural progression of learning about e-mail in the mid-'80s and getting into the Internet when it opened up in the early '90s.

Roger McGuinn

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 ...

Roger McGuinn

I'm happy with the Byrds as a good memory.

Roger McGuinn

When I first went from a band situation to a solo situation, it was quite an adjustment to make. But after having done it for a number of years, it really feels good out there.

Roger McGuinn

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.

Roger McGuinn

That's my favorite subject because it really levels the playing field for artists these days. You don't have to sell out to the record company. You don't have to get a five hundred thousand dollars, or whatever, and pay them back for the rest of your...

Roger McGuinn

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 ...

Roger McGuinn

But in my imagination this whole thing developed and I started mixing up old folk songs with the Beatles beat and taking them down to Greenwich Village and playing them for the people there.

Roger McGuinn

I think Wilco is going to definitely stand the test of time - no question - and Uncle Tupleo, and the whole No Depression scene, which is now alt-country. I think that's going to be around a long time.

Roger McGuinn

One of my favorite albums is Bob Gibson and Bob Camp, 'At the Gate of Horn.' It was a really dynamic album, almost like The Beatles, and way before its time... around 1960 or so.

Roger McGuinn

Well, I guess that early 12 string. The first Martin I bought. I bought it around 1957 with money I earned as a janitor assistant. I bought brand new. I still have that.

Roger McGuinn

I don't want to be an oldies act, kind of dragging around on the road just for the money.

Roger McGuinn

I love being a troubadour. I travel around the world with my wife and play little theaters. We have a ball.

Roger McGuinn

I love being on the sea and the rolling of the ship, and for me, it's not really happening until we get a little wave action going, I love that feeling.

Roger McGuinn

Author Bio

  • NameRoger McGuinn
  • DescriptionAmerican singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • BornJuly 13, 1942
  • CountryUnited States Of America
  • ProfessionSinger-songwriter; Singer; Banjoist