Led by Parsons, many
 musicians pioneered
 American-style genre

 By Hector Saldaρa
 Express-News Staff Writer

 There was something in the air.

 At least, that's how Byrds founder Roger McGuinn
 describes the coming of age of country-rock in the late
 '60s, that renegade, American style whose architects
 influenced today's Americana heroes, from Robert
 Earl Keen to the Jayhawks. 

 Unspoken in McGuinn's vague explanation is that his
 brilliant partner in the late-period Byrds was Gram
 Parsons, considered the godfather of the genre. When
 it comes to Americana music, all roads lead to
 Parsons.

 But he was not alone, and many of Americana's
 shapers — including songwriters Willie Nelson, Jerry
 Jeff Walker, Jackson Browne, Ray Wylie Hubbard,
 Chris Hillman, Neil Young, John Prine and Joe Ely —
 remain true to the musical hybrid.

 Here's a short list of essential Americana pioneers:

Gram Parsons — His International Submarine
 Band impressed the Byrd's Chris Hillman, which led to
 Parson's joining the band and sparking "Sweetheart of
 the Rodeo," the first country-rock album. He and
 Hillman formed the Flying Burrito Brothers. Parsons
 gave Emmylou Harris her first break, influenced the
 Rolling Stones and his albums "G.P" and "Grievous
 Angel" pointed the way for countless others. Hillman
 joined Stephen Still's Manassas and formed the
 Souther, Hillman, Furay Band. 

Poco — Out of the ashes and egos of the Buffalo
 Springfield emerged Richie Furay and Jim Messina to
 form one of the original country-rock bands, debuting
 with the classic "Pickin' Up the Pieces" in 1969.

The First National Band — Listen closely and one
 hears lots of pedal steel riffs on all of the Monkees'
 albums. That was guitarist and songwriter Michael
 Nesmith's influence and his post-Monkees band and
 solo albums helped lead the country-rock sound
 ("Joanne").

The Band — Early albums like "Music From Big
 Pink" and "The Band" gave us classics such as "The
 Weight," "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"
 and "Up On Cripple Creek." The Band lighted the
 path after '60s psychedelia proved to be a dead end,
 influencing Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Eric Clapton
 and others. 

Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen
 — In 1972, their album "Hot Licks, Cold Steel and
 Trucker's Favourites" gave us "Hot Rod Lincoln,"
 capturing the rock 'n' roll energy of the Americana
 sound. 

Doug Sahm — The late founder of the Tex-Mex
 combo the Sir Douglas Quintet began his musical life
 as a country steel guitar player, and that part of his
 musical heritage emerged full blown in 1973 on "Doug
 Sahm and Band" with guests Bob Dylan and Flaco
 Jimenez ("Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone").

The New Riders of the Purple Sage — Country
 influences snaked into the Grateful Dead's work, but it
 was with the New Riders that Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh
 and Mickey Hart briefly lived out their country-rock
 fantasies, fueled by psychedelics. 

Linda Ronstadt — Her folk hit "Different Drum"
 with the Stone Poneys barely hinted at her
 country-rock roots. She emerged from the same
 crossroads as J.D. Souther, the Eagles and Jackson
 Browne to bring a torchy twang to the pop charts with
 "You're No Good" and "When Will I Be Loved."

Michael Martin Murphey — Murphey's
 country-rock impact and success predated "Wildfire,"
 with his tunes recorded by the Monkees, Roger Miller
 and Bobby Gentry. Along with Hubbard, Walker,
 Nelson and B.W. Stevenson, Murphy shaped the
 progressive country movement.

Little Feat — Singer-songwriter Lowell George
 and bassist Rob Estrada came together in Frank
 Zappa's Mothers of Invention, but it was their eclectic
 vision with their own band that combined
 country-rock, R&B and blues with the technical
 proficiency that later defined the Southern California
 sound. Early albums "Sailin' Shoes" and "Dixie
 Chicken" remain Americana touchstones.


 hsaldana@express-news.net



 07/03/2000