The old axiom for rockers is to never read the reviews. Roger McGuinn, founder of the Byrds, doesn’t buy it. The legendary singer-songwriter, who has influenced so many significant recording artists from Tom Petty to R.E.M., with his jangly guitar style, made a change after reading a critique of his performance three-decades ago.
“I was opening for John Prine in Texas back in the early to mid-80s,” McGuinn said while calling from his Orlando home. “John is a wonderful storyteller, who engages the audience. The day after the show my wife and I read the review, and it said, ‘unless you’re a really big fan of Roger McGuinn, it (his performance) was kind of boring.’ The reason for that was the contrast to John Prine, who was so great telling his stories. At that point, I decided to tell stories, and I’ve been doing it ever since. My shows have been so much better since.”
Expect McGuinn, 71, to render Byrds classics, solo tunes and to spin a bunch of yarns when he performs Friday at the Stiefel Theatre in Salina.
“I’ve been around for so long,” McGuinn said. “I feel like I’ve seen it all. I have some good tales to tell.”
One of McGuinn’s best anecdotes, which he probably won’t share in Salina, is his decision to cover Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker’s “American Girl,” months after the song hit the charts in 1977.
“When I heard ‘American Girl’ for the first time I said, ‘when did I record that?’ I was kidding but the vocal style sounded just like me and then there was the Rickenbacker guitar, which I used. The vocal inflections were just like mine. I was told that a guy from Florida named Tom Petty wrote and sings the song, and I said that I had to meet him.
“I liked him enough to invite Petty and the Heartbreakers to open for us in 1976. When I covered ‘American Girl’ I changed a word or two and Tom asked me if it was because the vocal was too high and I said ‘yes.’ I had fun with Tom’s song. Over the years I’ve gotten to know him really well. He’s great, and he’s been kind enough to say what kind of an impact I had on him.”
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