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Famed
for his work in Buffalo Springfield and Crosby,
Stills & Nash, two of pop music's most successful
and enduring groups, Stephen Stills was born in
Dallas, Texas on January 3, 1945. He became fascinated
by music at a young age, and by the age of 15 was
playing professionally. He eventually dropped out
of college to move to New York City to try his hand
as a folk performer before signing on as a guitar
player with the Au Go Go Singers, where he befriended
a fellow bandmate named Richie Furay. After
a tour of Canada (during which they headlined a
bill with the Squires, which featured guitarist
Neil Young), Stills left the Au Go Go's in 1965
for Los Angeles, where he became enmeshed in the
city's burgeoning folk-rock community. After a series
of session gigs and auditions (including one for
the TV series The Monkees), in the spring of 1966
Stills enlisted Young, Furay, bassist Bruce Palmer
and drummer Dewey Martin to form the Herd, later
dubbed the Buffalo Springfield. A year later, the
group issued their eponymous debut; its Stills-penned
single "For What It's Worth," made them
stars. Internal problems, ego clashes and drugs
were already tearing the band apart, however, and
by the release of 1968's Last Time Around, the Springfield
had already dissolved.
Stills
quickly resurfaced with 1968's Super Session, recorded
with fellow guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper.
A jam session with ex-Byrd David Crosby and former
Hollies member Graham Nash led to the formation
of the vocal harmony supergroup Crosby, Stills &
Nash; released in 1969, their self-titled debut
was hugely successful, propelled by the single "Suite:
Judy Blue Eyes," written by Stills for folk
singer Judy Collins. Later that year, Neil Young
joined the loose-knit group, and in 1970, as Crosby,
Stills, Nash & Young, they issued Deja Vu, another
major hit.
From
its inception, CSNY was designed to allow the individual
performers great latitude for their solo work, and
following the recording of the group's live LP Four
Way Street, in late 1970 Stills released his self-titled
solo debut. Sparked the success of the hit single
"Love the One You're With," the album,
which featured cameos from Jimi Hendrix and Eric
Clapton, was another smash, as was his 1971 follow-up
Stephen Stills 2. In 1972, Stills began performing
with a new backing unit, Manassas, which featured
ex-Byrd and Flying Burrito Brother Chris Hillman;
both their eponymous debut and 1973's Down the Road
continued Stills' long string of chart successes.
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