A band whose constant elements were guitarist Roger McGuinn and American folk musics. The original Byrds fused Beatlemania with Bob Dylan to "create" folk-rock (e.g. "Mr. Tambourine Man"). They then lost lead singer Gene Clark (fear of flying), and went into a "space-rock" phase (e.g. "Eight Miles High"). David Crosby left (ego); Gram Parsons joined for a great LP of retro country music. Parsons left. Finally, with guitarist Clarence White, they were an OK jam band.