# The 1960s band Roger McGuinn never wanted to join: “I had two aces in the hole”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-1960s-band-roger-mcguinn-never-wanted-to-join-i-had-two-aces-in-the-hole/
- Published: 2026-07-19T15:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-01T08:17:18+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-1960s-band-roger-mcguinn-never-wanted-to-join/
- Topics: Art, Culture, Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- McGuinn was initially reluctant to join The Byrds.
- Dylan and the Beatles shaped his musical strategy.
- The Byrds became pioneers of folk-rock.

## Summary

Roger McGuinn was initially reluctant to join the group that became The Byrds, preferring his own direction as a folk performer. The article frames his eventual involvement as consequential because the band helped establish folk-rock as a major 1960s sound, blending electric guitars with folk songwriting.

McGuinn believed he had “two aces in the hole”: the influence of Bob Dylan and the Beatles. Those reference points shaped The Byrds’ approach, particularly their electric reinterpretation of Dylan material and McGuinn’s distinctive 12-string guitar sound, which became central to the band’s identity.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.