Absolutely Slaw. The Byrds were pioneers with their Notorious Byrd Brothers and Sweethearts of the Rodeo albums, right around the time of Dylan’s John Wesley Harding and The Band’s Music From Big Pink, two other hugely influential Country-ish albums. Not enough credit is given to bassist Chris Hillman for the Byrds move into hard Country; he had been playing Bluegrass before joining The Byrds, the other guys being more Folkies. It was Chris who brought in Gram Parsons, and the two of them started The Flying Burrito Brothers, from which The Eagles emerged.