Billy Joe Shaver was an American country singer and songwriter. He was a prominent figure in progressive and outlaw country.
Shaver in 2007
Shaver lost two fingers in a sawmill accident when he was young.
Shaver performing in 2015
Progressive country is a term used variously to describe a movement, radio format or subgenre of country music which developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a reaction against the slick, pop-oriented Nashville sound. Progressive country artists drew from Bakersfield and classic honky-tonk country and rock and roll, as well as folk, bluegrass, blues and Southern rock. Progressive country is sometimes conflated with outlaw country, which some country fans consider to be a harder-edged variant, and alternative country.
Progressive country musicians (L-R) Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings at the Dripping Springs Reunion in 1972.