Laurel Canyon: birthplace of the 1960s folk-rock scene

Universally admired and revered in the 1960s, the Beach Boys are largely responsible for the California sound. The band's songwriter and producer, Brian Wilson, lived and worked in Laurel Canyon. His complex arrangements on the album "Pet Sounds" even influenced the Beatles and created a wave of new pop and rock music.

In the middle of the 60s, the Beatles and the Beach Boys began to inspire and influence one another. After the "British Invasion" in the US, Brian Wilson became entranced by the Beatles' album "Rubber Soul." After Wilson released "Pet Sounds" in 1966, the quartet from Liverpool used it as inspiration for their next album. And thus, a friendly transatlantic exchange was underway.

The Byrds provided the blueprint for the folk-rock sound from Laurel Canyon, thanks in part to their album "Mr. Tambourine Man," whose title song was a cover of Bob Dylan's original. Guitarist Roger McGuinn (center) and David Crosby (left) were among the most influential songwriters at the time. Crosby became a member of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young after leaving The Byrds.

The band's song "California Dreaming" was not only an ode to the music scene and their home state, but also became the soundtrack for an entire generation. The Mamas and the Papas also lived in the Canyon and enjoyed the open, creative and inspiring atmosphere outside the busy center of Los Angeles.

Frank Zappa moved to Laurel Canyon in 1966 during the heyday of the scene. His house quickly became a meeting place for local musicians. Musically, Zappa was very much a free spirit, but he was often annoyed by the constant drug use of his colleagues. His debut album with the Mothers of Invention, "Freak Out!," was a tribute to the underground music scene of the time.

The composer and singer Carole King, pictured here with James Taylor, is one of the most successful songwriters of the 20th century. She has had more than 118 hits on the Billboard charts over the years and has worked with Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, Barbra Streisand, B.B. King and others. She moved to Laurel Canyon in the late 60s.

When one thinks of US folk music, Joni Mitchell's name is likely to come to mind. Like her fellow Canadian Neil Young, Mitchell came to the US in the mid-sixties. In 1968, she moved to Laurel Canyon and the experience inspired her seminal album "Ladies of the Canyon," which features hits like "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Woodstock."

Neil Young (left) and Stephen Stills, here together on stage in 1970, were also among the protagonists of the Laurel Canyon scene. They played together in the band Buffalo Springfield and later as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Eventually, Young left his bandmates to pursue his own career. His departure marked the end of the heyday of the Laurel Canyon folk-rock music scene.