Richie Furay

Richie Furay (born Paul Richard Furay, 9 May 1944, Yellow Springs, Ohio) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who is best known for forming the 1960s band, Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Bruce Palmer, and Dewey Martin. His best known song with that band was "Kind Woman," which he wrote for his wife, Nancy. Fact|date=January 2008

Career

Before Buffalo Springfield, Furay performed with Stills in the nine-member group, the Au Go Go Singers (Roy Michaels, Rick Geiger, Jean Gurney, Michael Scott, Kathy King, Nels Gustafson, Bob Harmelink, and Furay & Stills), the house band for the famous Cafe Au Go Go in New York.

In the late 1960s he formed the country-rock band Poco, with Jim Messina and Rusty Young. This band, while influential to many future country-rock acts, never achieved its potential success. Furay's best known songs, "Pickin' Up The Pieces" and "Good Feelin' To Know", however, have reached classic status and appear on many country compilations. He left Poco in 1974 to join the Souther Hillman Furay Band. Al Perkins, the group's pedal steel guitar player, introduced Furay to Christianity, before poor record sales led to the band's demise.

Furay then formed The Richie Furay Band, with Jay Truax, John Mehler, and Tom Stipe, releasing the album "I've Got a Reason" in 1976, which reflected Furay's newfound beliefs. To support the release of this album Furay formed an alliance with David Geffen and Asylum Records. Furay assured Geffen that his album would be Christian influenced but would not be an attempt to preach his newfound beliefs. The album, along with subsequent releases failed to chart. After two tours during the late 1970s, he hung up his rock and roll shoes in favor of a call to the ministry.

Since the early 1980s, Furay has been senior pastor of the Calvary Chapel in Broomfield, Colorado, a Christian church in the Denver area. He continues to perform as a solo artist, and very occasionally with Poco. He most recently toured as an opening act for America and Linda Ronstadt during the Summer of 2006. The 2006 release of his latest CD "The Heartbeat of Love" returns Furay to his early country-rock roots with a contemporary flair.

Partial discography

Albums

As a member of the Au Go-Go Singers:
*"Au Go-Go Singers" (With Stills) (1964) (Roulette Records)

As a member of the Buffalo Springfield:
*"Buffalo Springfield" (1966) (Atco)
*"Buffalo Springfield Again" (1967) (Atco)
*"Last Time Around" (1968) (Atco)

As a member of Poco:
*"Pickin' Up the Pieces" (1969) (Epic)
*"Poco" (1970) (Epic)
*"Deliverin'" (1971) (Epic)
*"From The Inside" (1971) (Epic)
*"A Good Feelin’ To Know" (1972) (Epic)
*"Crazy Eyes" (1973) (Epic)
*"Legacy" (1989) (RCA)

As a member of Souther Hillman Furay:
*"Souther Hillman Furay" (1974) (Asylum)
*"Trouble in Paradise" (1975) (Asylum)

Solo:
*"I've Got a Reason" (1976) (Asylum)
*"Dance a Little Light" (1978) (Asylum)
*"I Still Have Dreams" (1979) (Asylum)
*"Seasons of Change" (1982) (Myrrh Records)
*"In My Father's House" (1997) ( [Calvary Chapel Records)
*"I am Sure" (2005) (FridayMusic)
*"The Heartbeat of Love (2006) (Richie Furay and John Macy)

Compilations

*"Songs of Richie Furay" (1980) (Epic Records)

ingles

*"Souther Hillman Furay" (1974) (Asylum)
*Souther Hillman Furay: "Safe at Home" / "Border Town".

External links

* [http://www.richiefuray.com/ Official Richie Furay Website]