The Byrds’ Roger McGuinn reflects on early Chicago folk music roots

September 10, 2025

The guitarist and vocalist Roger McGuinn is among the most critically acclaimed and influential American musicians. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 and in 2023 he was named one of the “250 Greatest Guitarist” by Rolling Stone magazine.  

McGuinn is a co-founder of The Byrds and he’s often associated with the West Coast rock scene of the 1960s. But McGuinn is a native of the Midwest and he grew up immersed in the vibrant folk music scene of Chicago during the 1950s. McGuinn began his career recording and performing with folk groups like The Limelighters and Chad Mitchell Trio. 

McGuinn rose to national prominence in 1964 when he co-founded The Byrds with David Crosby and Gene Clark. McGuinn’s 12 string Rickenbacker guitar was a defining element of the group’s sound. The Byrds’ 1965 version of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” hit #1 on the American charts. That same year, their recording of Pete Seeger’s “Turn, Turn, Turn” also hit #1, ushering in the folk-rock movement of the mid 1960s.  

Over the next few years McGuinn continued to set new trends in rock music. The Byrds’ 1966 single “Eight Miles High” brought psychedelic music to the pop charts, and their1968 album “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” sparked the development of country rock.

The Byrds broke up in 1973, but McGuinn has continued to record and tour as a solo artist. McGuinn will bring his “Storied and Songs” tour to Carmel, Indiana’s Tarkington Theatre on September 13. 

In this conversation with WFYI’s Kyle Long, McGuinn reflects on his roots in the Chicago folk scene.