Just Voice and Guitar - Who are Your Singer/songwriter Inspirations?

[Brucebubs]

I'll add Bruce Cockburn too.

[mcduffnw]

For me, as I was beginning as a 12 year old in 1972, it was, in order of importance...then, and mostly now with a few more additions...

1. John Denver

2. Don McLean

3. Gordon Lightfoot

4. Jim Croce

5. Cat Stevens


duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

[llew]

I love this thread...I get to find new inspiration in new and old artists. Many thanks!

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by ascotia

Cheryl is one of my greatest musical influences as well, and this is perhaps the first time I've ever heard someone reference her on the internet. Kudos to you good sir.



My parents took my brother and I to her concerts religiously in the 90s whenever she was nearby, and she was gracious enough to let the 4 of us into the green room to talk to her between sets most of the times we went to see her. Now that I'm older I'm not sure why my parents thought that was appropriate, especially because my father was a performing musician as well. If you happen to own the only performance she recorded and released on VHS, my brother and I are the two blond boys sitting in the front row

Very cool!! I spent a week with her when she taught at Swannanoa a few years back. By her own admission, she is not very adept at teaching people how to write a song per se but it was delightful to hear her talk about her own process with her songwriting. Very honest and down to earth person.
Best,
Jayne

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by pegleghowell

I`ve never understood the Singer/Songwriter label.Surely anyone who sings a song they`ve written is a Singer/Songwriter....Charles Mingus,Slim Gaillard,T-Bone Walker,Carl Perkins,Gene Vincent,Jimi Hendrix,Captain Beefheart............labels,boxes,compartments.Hav ing said that,my favourites are Willie McTell,Charley Patton,Skip James,Dock Boggs,Roscoe Holcomb.......

It’s a genre of music that grew out of the late 60s and early 70s. Before that, most singers sang songs that were written by songwriters that did not perform. The two skills from the record industry perspective were separate. So, the industry categorized these folks like James Taylor, Jackson Brown, Joni Mitchell, etc. who were singing their own songs as “singer songwriters”. So, yes, it’s a label naming a genre of music.
Best,
Jayne

[budglo]

Jim Croce
Neil Young
Gordon Lightfoot
Harry Chapin

In that exact order

[pegleghowell]

Originally Posted by jaymarsch

It’s a genre of music that grew out of the late 60s and early 70s. Before that, most singers sang songs that were written by songwriters that did not perform. The two skills from the record industry perspective were separate. So, the industry categorized these folks like James Taylor, Jackson Brown, Joni Mitchell, etc. who were singing their own songs as “singer songwriters”. So, yes, it’s a label naming a genre of music.
Best,
Jayne

Thank you very much Jayne,your explanation makes much sense and things much clearer.

[EZYPIKINS]

Short answer
Paul Simon

[bfm612]

He's not my biggest influence, but Sondre Lerche definitely reinvigorated my interest in guitar years back. He pretty much writes pop/rock, but he studied jazz and bossa nova, and his incorporation of chords from those styles into pop made his songs interesting, especially for someone like me who had been stuck in the rut of the go-to chord shapes. I haven't been as big a fan of his last few albums, but loved his work all the way up to his S/T. I love the dynamics and attack he employs especially when playing solo acoustic.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by jaymarsch

It’s a genre of music that grew out of the late 60s and early 70s. Before that, most singers sang songs that were written by songwriters that did not perform. The two skills from the record industry perspective were separate. So, the industry categorized these folks like James Taylor, Jackson Brown, Joni Mitchell, etc. who were singing their own songs as “singer songwriters”. So, yes, it’s a label naming a genre of music.
Best,
Jayne

Good explanation Jayne. Keep in mind also that this genre came in at the time of the power trio (Hendrix, Cream, etc.). The contrast of a guy/gal with an acoustic guitar doing their own songs was pretty stark.

[seeker]

Dylan, Prine, Cash, Springsteen, Robert Johnson, TVZ, Slaid Cleaves, Reina Del Cid, Ray Wiley Hubbard, James McMurtry, etc. etc. There are so many...

[The Watchman]

I get inspired when I see one of you nameless persons playing solo at the local farmers market, bar, restaurant, fair, or wherever. It takes more guts than the average person will know to put yourself out there.

[EllenGtrGrl]

During my 41 years of guitar playing? That's tough - there have been quite a few:

Joni Mitchell
Molly Tuttle
Neil Young
Nick Drake

One person who i discovered purely by accident on YouTube this past Christmastime, who was hugely influential to people like Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, and even Paul Simon to an extent - Jackson C. Frank. Things never seemed to go his way, so after one album, he faded into obscurity. It's too bad, he was shockingly good.

[Social Exodus]

Too many to name for me, but they've all been named in this thread anyway.

[TJN]

I see many of my inspirations previously mentioned. I would add Judy
Collins, Joan Baez, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.