Who are your most inspiring/influential acoustic guitar singer songwriters?

[Jim-W]

I think we are heavily biased by what we grew up on. These are not all singer songwriters, but somewhere in my head their music is moving me.

*Jimmy Page* not a singer
CSNY
Dan Fogelberg
Burton Cummings
Steely Dan
The Police - Sting
Fleetwood Mac
Supertramp
So many more!

Recent is much harder and I am ignoring Disco and Hair Bands and Punk Bands
Coldplay
Amy MacDonald

Composers
Erik Satie
Thomas Newman
Samuel Barber

[BoneDigger]

Gordon Lightfoot
Norman Blake

Todd

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Gordon Lightfoot
Stan Rogers
Steve Romanoff
Paul Simon
John Denver
Jim Croce
Neil Diamond

Although I've never learned any of his songs on guitar, Stan Rogers is the first name that popped into my mind when I read the thread title. It's his songwriting skills and his experiences in Nova Scotia that have influenced my own writing.

[baimo]

Bob Dylan
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
George Harrison
Paul Simon
James Taylor
Van Morrison
Joni Mitchell
CSN

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by Muffinhead

There were three songs that I really loved because of the acoustic guitar. They were, in chronological order, "Leaves That are Green", "Helplessly Hoping" and "The Boxer". I used to wish I could play the guitar part for those songs. Now I can. Not note for note like the originals, but my way and I have fun playing those songs that meant so much to me.

With that in mind:

Paul Simon
Crosby, Stills and Nash

These were my original influences and inspiration.

Stephen Stills
James Taylor
Dan Fogelberg
Kerry Livgren (Kansas)
and..
John Hiatt
John Lennon for their hard as crap to play sometimes rhythm guitar styles.

Helplessly Hoping isn't really that difficult. You should You Tube the lessons and learn it.

[mahoriver]

Ive really been enjoying your picks everyone,shall enjoy looking up the folks
i have never heard of before,and some had forgotten about.
How could i forget Townes van Zandt ! "Marie"
When im in a bit of a rut with my own stuff,songs..Finding someone new can
really spark things off again..
Who i grew up with are my main influences too.So i guess that's true!.Its good
to keep it fresh to..
Any More !

[eshrager]

A tough one - for me the most influential singer songwriters takes me back just about 45 years or so. Lucky if I can remember stuff from 5 minutes ago let alone 45 years - but these people stand out.

Joni Mitchell
Chris Smither
Richard Thompson
Buddy Guy
Stan Rogers
John Prine
Steve Goodman
Jerry Jeff Walker
John Bassette
Cheryl Wheeler

[Charmed Life Picks]

I hope I don't appear to be highjacking this thread, but it seems to me Randy Newman should be mentioned in any discussion of great American songwriters. I realize he doesn't play guitar, but "Marie" and "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" are two of the greatest songs of the century.

Just Sayin'.

Scott

[SFCRetired]

I'm influenced by the singer songwriters and folk players of the sixties and seventies. If they had a song on the radio I have heard it. John Denver was probably the most influential for me. Now his songs seem a little cheesy. But I still play some of them anyway.

[drplayer]

Many have been already mentioned, but

Historical influences...

James Taylor
Neil Young
Jackson Browne
Bob Dylan
Bruce Springsteen
Van Morrison
Kenny Loggins

New(er) influences...

Kelly Joe Phelps
Ryan Adams
Jason Isbell

[Tonyb98]

Ed Robertson and Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies

[Hoyt]

Gene Clark
Neil Young
Steve Earle
Gram Parsons
Gillian Welch
Bob Dylan
Jackson Browne

[flagstaffcharli]

The Beatles
Jackson Browne
Chris Smither
Cheryl Wheeler
Willie Nelson
Indigo Girls
Keb Mo
Bruce Springsteen
Pete Seeger
Woody Guthrie
Nanci Griffith
John Denver
Dan Fogelberg
Steve Goodman
Patty Larkin
Lyle Lovett
Dave Carter
Andrew Calhoun
Bob Dylan
Joni Mitchell
Paul Simon

Oh, man...I could go on for days!

[Muffinhead]

Originally Posted by Muffinhead

There were three songs that I really loved because of the acoustic guitar. They were, in chronological order, "Leaves That are Green", "Helplessly Hoping" and "The Boxer". I used to wish I could play the guitar part for those songs. Now I can. Not note for note like the originals, but my way and I have fun playing those songs that meant so much to me.

With that in mind:

Paul Simon
Crosby, Stills and Nash

These were my original influences and inspiration.

Originally Posted by rokdog49

Stephen Stills
James Taylor
Dan Fogelberg
Kerry Livgren (Kansas)
and..
John Hiatt
John Lennon for their hard as crap to play sometimes rhythm guitar styles.

Helplessly Hoping isn't really that difficult. You should You Tube the lessons and learn it.

I think you missed the part where I said "now I can". I don't play them as note for note copies, not because of difficulty, but because I like the way I play my version. I usually like to make a song that I like my own.

[Guitars+gems]

Originally Posted by SFCRetired

I'm influenced by the singer songwriters and folk players of the sixties and seventies. If they had a song on the radio I have heard it. John Denver was probably the most influential for me. Now his songs seem a little cheesy. But I still play some of them anyway.

Interesting, because I think his songs sound a little cheesy too. Especially stuff like, Sunshine on My Shoulder..: But the beauty of some of those songs, the power of his voice, and the skill of his guitar playing can not be denied. Some of the cheesiness I think is due to the arrangements, and a tendency toward over sentimentality. I gained a new respect for him after I watched the documentary on Netflix.