Buffalo Springfield's Richie Furay Looks Back & Forward, Re-affirm's Reunion in February 2012
THE DENVER POST | Cyrus McCrimmon
Richie Furay re-affirm's Buffalo Springfield's reunion in February 2012 in an important video and article on the band's co-founder in The Denver Post by Jeremy P. Meyer:
In the 1980s, he gave up being a professional musician and focused instead on being a pastor — devoted to the faith he found during a troubled time in his marriage. His marriage to Nancy survived and is in its 44th year.
Since 1983, Furay has been pastor of Calvary Chapel in Broomfield.
On a recent Sunday, Furay played guitar with the band and preached a sermon for nearly an hour on the final chapter of the Book of Daniel .
"Most of the people here know him as Pastor Richie and don't know anything about this other stuff," said Scott Sellen, worship leader at Furay's church and multi-instrumentalist in his band.
Years ago, Sellen gently encouraged Furay to begin performing again, at first as a duo with Sellen.
More members were added, and now the Richie Furay Band includes Furay's daughter, Jesse Lynch; Sellen's son, Aaron; and drummer Alan Lemke.
Every Sunday , the band gathers on a stage in the cinder-block church, playing upbeat devotionals with a country-rock feel as tight as any professional group.
Tonight, the band will play at Denver's Bluebird Theatre, with a song list that spans Furay's career — from Buffalo Springfield and Poco to recently written tunes.
Even though Furay is a rock pioneer, his band still has difficulty getting in-state gigs.
"I don't think Colorado has been kind to Richie," Sellen said. "But he's got more history than anyone in Colorado."
by thrasher@PermaLink: 7/17/2011 06:28:00 AM
25 comments
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dave from vancouver wa. says....my wife and i can not wait for this tour to begin....come on springfield..hit up portland!!!
Hey dave:
When I first saw the itiniary for the Buffalo earlier in the year, I made plans to travel from Vancouver to the Bay Area to be able to see the first show in Oakland on June 1. Just couldn't take the chance that they would ever make it up here.
There should be a seperate catagory in the 'R&R Hall Of Fame' for musicians who's marriages have survived throughout the duration of their musical career. They would most certainly be few in number. For Richie Furay, his example is a perfect testimony of a man who had his priorities in order. Putting all of ones hopes in the business of Rock-N-Roll and the people associated within it has been the downfall of many who didn't have a back up plan in the event of failure. What happened in the life and career of Richie Furay may have resulted in a less than favorable outcome had being a successful Rock Star been his only option. Having been a founding member of 'The American Rolling Stones' could only have had implications of super-stardom on a young mans ego, only to have the dream implode before its full potential was realized. Attempts to duplicate the short lived success he experienced with the Buffalo Springfield, either as a solo artist or as a member of various groups,failed to deliver the level of success that Stephen and Neil eventually had enjoyed as solo artists. Never the less, he continued forward with moderate success rather than succumbing to the ranks of obscurity as Dewey Martin and Bruce Palmer had. As it became obvious to Richie that it might be a while before the Springfield re-grouped, he resorted to plan B. It was then that Richie began to prioritize and came into the knowledge of the truth that each of us have certain callings and gifts in this life and while it may be a noble dream for some, not everyone who has aspirations of becoming a 'RockStar' will have that become a reality in their life. This is the part that may be a tad too 'religious' for some. For others, it is the ONLY reason that Richie Furay's life has 'all of a sudden' become like a fairy tale come true. As a man who put God before his own aspirations and dreams and decided long ago to make being a RockStar a hobby rather than a full time job, he now finds himself in the center of his dreams, although awake, living out the RockStar fantasy as he always dreamed it could be, while his marriage and integrity is still yet intact. It says in the Bible, the manual for life that Richie faithfully lives by, that "if you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, that all things will be added unto you"! Richie Furay is an inspiration to me. When Neil said "Now I ain't sayin who was right or wrong", when asked recently about the drama that imploded the band some 40 yrs ago, richie said that he can't even remember any such drama other than to say that it makes more interesting press to add some infighting to the mix. While that may be a little naive to dismiss any notion of conflict, it's just not in Richies nature to point fingers, especially now. This Buffalo Springfield reunion is Richie Furays dream coming to pass. It is his reward for living a life with a balanced sense of priorities. It's bigger than the sum of the charactors involved. So big that Neil and Stephen have taken time out of their 'big' careers to become sidemen in a band with Richie at the center. How big is that?
That analysis seems rather heavy-handed and tortured. Neil wanted to try this, Richie was still alive, and Neil has graciously allowed Richie the center stage while he sings Neil's excellent songs. It has nothing to do with how many years Richie has been married or that he calls Jesus his savior. Stop slathering your twisted ideology all over it.
Thanks BigChief, as always. Good thoughts. more later.
@ Anon 09:40:00 PM: ok, that's fine. as just mentioned to BC above, more later.
but, if someone carefully constructs an argument that works for them and shares it and you disagree, fine. but, respectfully, try & remember they deserve more than just a poorly argued off hand dismissal.
wwrd? or wwsd? or wwnd?
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Anon 9:40, What part of my 'analysis' offended you to the point of it to be considered "heavy handed & tortured"? Why would you be offended by my admiration of Mr Furays successful marriage, as mentioned in the Denver Post article, and the possibilty that his faith in his God may have played a role in such an admirable accomplishment by todays standards, especially considering the enormous potential for temptation that celebrities must constantly endure. While most 'RockStars' boast of their encounters as conquests, still others choose the less glamorous and un-cool route of faithfulness towards their spouse. Whether your a 'RockStar' or a 'Grocery Clerk', the same consequences and rewards apply. Anon, my admiration towards Mr Furay and his much deserved reputation for having integrity is merely an opinion of mine of which I am entitled to, just as you are of yours. However, the subject matter that I drew from was reflected in the post authored by Jeremy P. Meyer. Not once was Jesus mentioned by name, and every attempt was made to not twist my ideology. And let me assure you,Mr Anon, any "slathering" I may have committed was purely unintentional. Aside from our differences, I do agree with you that yes, Richie is still alive, and yes, Neil is "gracious" and makes "excellent songs".
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Saying that this reunion is Richie's reward from God for being a good Christian and staying married for a long time to the same person is just hogwash. How do you explain the much more successful and long-lived careers of McCartney or Dylan, Willie Nelson, Mellencamp, Paul Simon, Miles Davis, The Edge, Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl and scores of others with spiritual beliefs and personal relationships all over the map?
I was once also in the fog of religion and I realize I can't make you see my point because you have to shape reality to conform to your beliefs, rather than just seeing the simple reality of things.
(sigh) it's OK to be a Christian...it's ok to be a Buddhist, or a Muslim or...an atheist...Neil is (apparently) an Atheist, Richie is a Christian--they're in a band together, for now at least...get over it...
My problem with Christians and some other religious people is the way they judge others. The argument here is that being a good Christian and being a decades long monogamist somehow makes you a better person than others and entitled to special favors from God. And the characterization of most rock stars boasting of their conquests is just lame stereotyping.
My problem with those who identify themselves as 'Anonymous' is that while hiding behind the guise of anonymity, they feel safe to spout prejudiced hostilities and animosities towards something or someone whom they disagree without fear of repercussion ... Throw your Hatred Down!
The other thing that bothers me about Christians is their blatant hypocrisy.
Well Bigchief, I guess Bigchief is not a form of anonymity, huh? No, you just put your prejudiced hostilities and animosities right out there. Or no actually you wrap them up in Christian talk to make them go down easier. Throw your hatred down indeed.
@asg - Neil is an atheist? Really?
'When God Made Me' - Prairie Wind
'and protect God's creation' - Peaceful Valley Boulevard
While Neil may not be a member of an organized religious belief system, I would argue that he most definitely believes in a great Spirit (God) and that he is a very spiritual person.
an atheist? maybe not, I admit...but the punishing God? the begging for Money God? the Western God? I don't think that Neil believes in them...I believe he has admitted to having a beef with organized Religion...what that means exactly I don't know..."God" is easier to say in a song than "the Force that Controls the Universe"...
........ seein' Pastor Ritchie up on stage, w/old friends and others of our generation, 40 years on from being Original Hippies, singin' and smilin' and playin' with all around enjoying the experience and loving their lives
...... man, i'll tell ya, no matter WHAT you believe in, THAT's a beautiful thing !
... so Hooray For Our Side ! ..... whichever side of whatever idea you're living by, peace be upon you !
Rock on Ritchie ..... tho I AM bummed the Buff's not coming to Red Rocks this fall ;-(
It occurred to me that maybe the Buffalo Springfield reunion means just as much, if not more, to Neil than it does to Richie? Judging from the interviews that Richie has given, it seems as if a Buffalo Springfield reunion was not in his wheelhouse at all. That it was a foregone conclusion in his mind that it would never happen.
Then, the call came in from Neil after Stephen suggested it to do the Bridge School Benefit (which was supposed to be a one off thing). I did notice while watching the videos from that show where Neil seemed to be just having the time of his life there. They all were jazzed about continuing on, but Richie did say that they should wait a week or two before making any long range plans.
The conventional wisdom seems to be that Neil put on the B/S reunion in part to give Richie his due, but I'm sensing that there's something deeper than that as far as Neil goes. That this is a huge part of his legacy, and that it will not only not be forgotten, but to remind all how important it was to the larger scheme of things. How important the music is.
I don't buy the "Richie is a good christian, that's why the BS reunion is happening" way of thinking.
C'mon man.
When CSNY regrouped in 2000 for their first major tour in 24 years did it happen due to religion?
Also, this line is a little too ripe::
"....So big that Neil and Stephen have taken time out of their 'big' careers to become sidemen in a band with Richie at the center...."
Richie is not at "the center" - he's a part of the band, just like Neil and Stephen.
Christianity is a good thing, but it doesn't solve all of life's riddles.
Maybe there's a Chris Hillman fan out there who will claim the same thing if (doubtful) the Byrds ever reform. He's another "good Christian."
BTW, Big Chief - you're as anonymous as anyone.
Sigh! Why can't I ever join a comments site without seeing this mudslinging back and forth?? Please, ALL of you--get over it. This is supposed to be an enjoyable thing to do, without all this tension and friction. This is the very thing that has driven me away from other comment boards. I don't want it to happen here, because I really love NY and his music, which is what we are all here for, after all, right?
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I am a Christian, too, and I am finally mad as h*ll and I'm not going to take this anymore.
Anonymous said that the blatant hypocrisy of Christians bothers him. This and "preachers all have their hand out for money" are just tired old worn-out saws that people who have a beef against Christians keep rolling out over and over again, ad nauseam. I feel if I see or hear that once more I think I shall hurl!
Hypocrits you will find everywhere, in all walks of life, in all religions. Cases in point:
Muslims say that the Koran does not advocate violence. Well, I guess that makes hypocrits of Osama Bin Laden and all Muslim terrorists, doesn't it? Yep.
I have been exposed to the "back to nature" movement for many decades. I have known a few of them personally.
They preach that our environment is being ruined, yet they blatantly leave trash all over. I guess it's a "do as I say, not as I do" thing, right? Hypocracy.
John Lennon sang in "Imagine" that we should "imagine no possessions.". Yet when he was killed, he left Yoko Ono and his son a $93 million dollar estate! Hypocracy? You bet.
Who among us has never lied to protect ourselves or to cover our tracks? I'll wager any money that there is no one. That is being a hypocrit. So, I guess you could say that we are ALL hypocritical sometimes, yet the Christian is always singled out as the lone whipping boy for hypocrisy, and I am sick to death of it. Yes, there are "Christians" who are hypocrits, but didn't Jesus say,"not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, shall see the kingdom of heaven"?
One cannot escape hypocrisy. You will find it EVERYWHERE, okay? So stop singling out Christians.
Hey stampschick, you're kidding right??
Christians being persecuted? What are you talking about? Last i checked, the Supreme Court, Congress, Fortune 500 were all dominated 90%+ white male christians.
Next thing, you'll complain about the recent Norwegian white male radical christian terrorist being unfairly treated.
Folks like Anders Behring Breivik kill in the name of god. In this case his christian god told him to kill innocents. See the problem?
Didn't jesus talk about tolerance? empathy? peace?
You're right, you're a hypocrite.
More animosity here. Some people will never be convinced, because they don't want to be. Besides, I didn't use the word persecuted--you did. I can never quite understand why there are people like you who hate Christians so much. Do you really have any better reason than the next person? Why so much resentment?
If you were to find out about the recent Norwegian so-called "Christian" radical, he is anything BUT a Christian. He is simply another nut job who is calling on all "Chrisitan/Athiests" (whatever the heck THAT is) to unite
and kill more people. Everyone who calls themselves a
Christian is NOT one, as you cannot seem to understand. Or you are simply invoking this crazy's news story to try to prove your point about Christians being "hypocrits.". It's a poor example that I should hope that any thinking person can easily see through.
You also invoked Jesus, who did indeed teach tolerance, empathy and peace--which you yourself could use huge dose of.
Why don't we just call a truce and get away from this back and forth, okay? You're okay, I'm okay, We agree to disagree. I got way off the beaten path here, talking about something that has nothing to do with Neil Young. None of this has any business on Thrashers Wheat, anyway. "Shake hands" so to speak and get back to why
we're here in the first place? Whaddya say? I apologize for my part in this whole thing.
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