John Hartford

The original writer of the crossover hit "Gentle On My Mind," John Hartford was much more than a one hit wonder. He was an accomplished fiddle, mandolin, guitar and banjo player (as well as a riverboat captain), and he played on the Byrds' cult classic album Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. After joining up with like-minded string band enthusiasts Norman Blake and Vassar Clements, Hartford began exploring bluegrass and pushing the boundaries of tradition. Today he is considered one of the founding pioneers of progressive bluegrass, and hailed as an acoustic deity. He passed away in 2001 due to complications from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.