Richie Furay
Buffalo Springfield, POCO & Souther-Hillman-Furay comprise the illustrious musical career of Richie Furay. He is celebrated for pioneering Country-Rock with his unsurpassed soulful voice, powerful songwriting, and hard driving guitar playing.
Furay was been busy in 2021 with a documentary on his life & career in production, some livesteam concerts, and his “farewell” live performance from touring. However, ‘farewell” does not mean “goodbye”, and Furay will be performing very select concerts throughout 2022. Last year also saw the release of his most recent work. The new live album documents a special show that Furay played with his solo band in November 2018 at Los Angeles' famed Troubadour venue and that featured a full performance of Poco's 1971 live album, DeLIVErin'. 50th Anniversary Return to the Troubadour was released as a two-CD set and on DVD in April 2021.
The concert featured two sets, with the first -- dubbed "Still DeLIVErin'" -- offering a mix of Buffalo Springfield tunes, Poco gems and songs from Furay's solo catalog. The second set, titled "DeLIVErin' Again," showcased the DeLIVErin' performance, plus an encore rendition of Poco's enduring 1972 song "A Good Feelin' to Know."
Longtime Eagles and former Poco bassist Timothy Schmit, who played on DeLIVErin', joined Furay at the 2018 concert for two songs -- "Hear That Music" and the aforementioned "A Good Feelin' to Know."
There is a new studio album slated for a June 18th, 2022 release that was recorded in Nashville with the highest caliber of talented musicians. comprising all country classic songs. The album features songs originally recorded by Rick Nelson, John Denver, Keith Urban, Garth Brooks, Alabama , Lonestar, and others. The album also features several guest vocalists including Timothy B. Schmit, Vince Gil, John Berry, and Jason Scheff.
The documentary currently in development on Richie’s life & career, with a working title Through It All, The Life and Influence of Richie Furay, is scheduled for a late 2022 release.
Furay is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee for his work with BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD, a group he formed with Stephen Stills & Neil Young in 1966.
In addition, he is inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame for his work with POCO. In 1968, after Buffalo Springfield disbanded, he formed the groundbreaking country-rock band POCO with Jim Messina. Joining them in various stages of the band’s lineup were Rusty Young, Randy Meisner, George Grantham, Timothy B. Schmit, and Paul Cotton.
After starting his musical career as a solo artist and member of various folk groups, RICHIE FURAY formed BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD in 1967 with Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin. Buffalo Springfield’s debut album included the hit single “For What It’s Worth.” The band went on to record two more albums before disbanding in 1968.
And who would have thought that 2010 and 2011 would see a reunion of BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD. The R&R Hall of Fame band existed for just two years in the late sixties and its three primary songwriters gave birth to over 40 years of groundbreaking music upon the band’s demise. In October of 2010, the surviving founding members, Richie Furay, Stephen Still, and Neil Young reunited for a one off performance at Young’s annual Bridge School Benefit in Mountainview CA. What followed was an early 2011 run in California culminating with a stellar set at Tennessee’s Bonnaroo Festival.
In 1968, Furay formed POCO, one of the first “country-rock” hybrid bands with Jim Messina (who had replaced Palmer in Buffalo Springfield), Rusty Young, George Grantham, and Randy Meisner (quickly replaced by Timothy B. Schmitt) and Paul Cotton (Messina’s replacement after three albums). Poco recorded 6 albums with Furay at the helm, including the classics “Pickin’ Up The Pieces” and “A Good Feeling To Know.” POCO’s unique sound set the stages for bands like The Eagles as well as the “rock” music that now dominates the modern country music market of the 21st Century.
While Furay would occasionally join with core Poco members Young and Cotton, a stellar lineup of Furay, Young, Cotton, Messina, Grantham & Schmidt reunited for a one-time performance at California’s Stagecoach Festival in 2009.
Soon after departing Poco in 1973, Furay participated in Souther-Hillman-Furay Band (with J.D. Souther and Chris Hillman (of The Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers). The SHF band’s hit single was Furay’s “Falling In Love.”
After three solo albums in the ‘70’s, Furay headed home to Colorado where he was the pastor of the Calvary Chapel for 35 years until his retirement in December of 2018.
Furay released two excellent inspiration albums, “In My Father’s House” and “I Am Sure.”
In 2006 “Heartbeat Of Love” was Richie Furay’s first general market album in 3 decades. Joining him on this collection are former band mates, Neil Young and Stephen Stills, Rusty Young, Paul Cotton, Timothy B. Schmitt as well as Kenny Loggins and The Turtles’ Mark Volman. That release was followed by, "Hand In Hand" in 2013. The 50th Anniversary Return To The Troubadour(CD & DVD)was released in 2021. Richie's next studio effort, "In THe Country" will be released in June 2022.
THE RICHIE FURAY BAND is currently performing material from his extensive catalog. Richie's latest band configuration of members consists of his daughter Jesse Furay Lynch(vocals) and Jack Jeckot(keyboard) who have performed with Richie for many years. The newest members of the band are SoCal's favorite musicians from San Diego(Back To The Garden / http://www.back-to-the-garden.net/ )including Marc Intravaia(guitars), Jim Soldi(guitars), Rick Nash(bass), Larry Grano(drums). In addition to Richie's classic song catalog of "kind Woman", A Good Feelin' To Know", A Child's Claim To Fame", and Pickin' Up THe Pieces", Richie has been performing a tribute to his former Poco bandmates Paul Cotton & Rusty Young, both passing away in 2021. He also has been performing a Timothy B. Schmit song that is a Poco fan favorite.
