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Published on May-17-2022 7:00am
Views: 13364
Photo credit: Steve Levine
Back in 1969, the mandolin seemed poised to become a sustaining part of rock 'n roll and popular music. Over the next three years, no lesser lights than the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Band, the Grateful Dead, and Rod Stewart would produce one or more songs that featured the instrument. Each of the albums went platinum. And Stewart's classic "Maggie May" simultaneously topped the pop charts in the U.S., U.K, Canada, and Australia.
The instrument's future in popular music seemed bright. Until suddenly it wasn't.
Over the ensuing seven decades, the mandolin has retained its beloved place in folk, country, and bluegrass, even
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