This is right at the heart of some of my favorite music. The Byrds represent one of the most remarkable "family trees" in American music history.

In Clarence White alone, there is perhaps the single greatest influence in bluegrass guitar for a whole new generation of players. Perhaps the root of what became "newgrass". Rice, Grier, Nygaard and many others claim White as "most influencial".

David Crosby, in all his future endeavors, proved to be part of even broader musical influence with Stills, Nash, and Young.

One of the most enjoyable reads I've had this year was the Flatpicking Guitar magazine which featured Chris Hillman on the cover. The interview with Chris Hillman was one of the most intimate, insider interviews I've ever read, of someone who lived and created right in the heart of all of it.