By RANDY LEWIS By Randy Lewis Los Angeles Times Nick Reynolds, who as a college student grabbed a guitar, donned a broad-striped button-down shirt and quickly helped propel the 1950s folk music revival to the top of the pop music charts as a founding member of the Kingston Trio, died Wednesday in San Diego.

By Spencer Leigh Musician whose work with the Kingston Trio paved the way for Bob Dylan During the purge of Communists led by Senator Joe McCarthy in the early 1950s, folk music was seen as subversive and anti-American and the leading group, the Weavers, was blacklisted.

John Stewart, who wrote the Monkees' hit "Daydream Believer" and became a well-known figure in the 1960s folk music revival as a member of The Kingston Trio, has died, according to the band's Web site. He was 68.

Musician John Stewart, best known for his work with the Kingston Trio, died Saturday of an apparent massive stroke in San Diego at the age of 68. The Kingston Trio Web site reported the folk singer suffered a massive stroke or a brain aneurysm Friday and doctors were unable to repair the damage.