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Richie Furay started his musical career playing folk clubs as a solo artist in the 1960s, as well as with bands like
the Monks and the
Au Go Go Singers (which included
Stephen Stills in the lineup). After meeting
Neil Young they formed
Buffalo Springfield with
Bruce Palmer and
Dewey Martin. The band cut its first album,
Buffalo Springfield, in 1967; it included the single "For What It's Worth."
Buffalo Springfield recorded two more albums --
Buffalo Springfield Again and
Last Time Around -- before disbanding in 1968.
Furay and
Jim Messina (who had replaced
Palmer in
the Springfield) formed a new band,
Poco, with steel guitar player
Rusty Young,
George Grantham (ex-Boenzee Cryque), and
Randy Meisner (ex-
Poor).
Poco recorded its first album,
Pickin' Up the Pieces, and
Meisner quit soon afterward. The band continued as a quartet, building a reputation at the Troubadour.
Timothy B. Schmit was added as their second album,
Poco, was released. After
Poco's third album,
Deliverin',
Messina quit and was replaced by
Paul Cotton (ex-Illinois Speed Press).
Poco went on to cut albums such as
From the Inside,
A Good Feelin' to Know, and
Crazy Eyes before
Furay left.
At David Geffen's request,
Furay formed
the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band with
Chris Hillman (ex-
Byrds) and
J.D. Souther. The band split after two unsuccessful albums in 1974 and 1975.
Furay then converted to Christianity and formed
the Richie Furay Band, a Christian group featuring Jay Truax, John Mehler (ex-
Love Song), and Tom Stipe. After two albums --
Dance a Little Light and I Still Have Dreams -- the band recorded Seasons of Change for Myrrh Records,
Furay's first album for a Christian label.
Furay became a minister in Colorado and continued singing and recording. He rejoined
Poco in 1990 for their comeback album,
Legacy, which included the hit single "Call It Love." In 1997,
Furay recorded his fifth solo album,
In My Father's House, for the Christian Calvary Chapel label. The Christian-themed
I Am Sure followed on the Friday Music label in 2005, while also signaling that
Furay remained a country-rocker who maintained his old connections -- the album featured appearances by the likes of
Rusty Young (who had also played on
In My Father's House),
Jim Messina,
Paul Cotton, and
Chris Hillman. Released in 2006,
Heartbeat of Love kept the country-rock flame burning and included contributions from
Steven Stills and
Neil Young.
The Richie Furay Band’s two-disc Alive set -- recorded on tour in Colorado -- arrived in 2009.
Furay has also made selected live appearances (along with other
Poco alumni) with the post-millennial incarnation of
Poco led by original bandmember
Rusty Young (and also featuring
Paul Cotton until March 2010).
Furay, Young and Stills finally reunited as
Buffalo Springfield for a pair of shows at Young's annual Bridge School Benefit in the fall of 2010. It wasn't a complete reunion, since bassist
Bruce Palmer had died in 2004 and drummer
Dewey Martin passed in 2009, but the three singers used drummer Joe Vitale and bassist Rick Rosas to fill in. The same configuration played six concerts in the spring of 2011, but reportedly did no studio work. ~ Mike Edmunds