Floyd August “Gib” Guilbeau was born on September 26, 1937, and died on April 12, 2016.

He was an American Cajun country rock musician and songwriter.

He was a member of Nashville West, Swampwater, and the Flying Burrito Brothers, Guilbeau helped pioneer the fusion of rock and country music in the 1960s.

Guilbeau formed The Four Young Men with guitarist Wayne Moore, in 1960, which Bobby Edwards then joined to become Bobby Edwards & the Four Young Men.

The band released the single “You’re the Reason”, which became a nationwide hit, peaking at #4 Country and #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961.

Gib formed The Reasons (aka “Nashville West,” actually the name of a club they played at in El Monte, CA), in 1967 a short-lived country rock group with multi-instrumentalist Gene Parsons, who had played with Guilbeau in a band called the Castaways years earlier, guitarist Clarence White, formerly of the Kentucky Colonels, and Wayne Moore on bass.

Together with bands such as the Byrds, Dillard & Clark and the International Submarine Band, Nashville West was one of the first country rock bands.

Country rock personalies likeGram Parsons and future Flying Burrito Brother Sneaky Pete Kleinow would sit in with the group.

They also provided backing for other groups, such as the Gosdin Brothers and others on Gary Paxton’s Bakersfield International record label.

He was also a songwriter, Guilbeau’s songs have been covered by many artists, including Ricky Nelson, Bobby Womack, Ronnie Wood, and Rod Stewart.

Gib Guilbeau passed away at 78 yrs od.