RETURN OF FURAY
With the release of 50th Anniversary Return to the Troubadour: Deliverin’ Again, it’s time to reassess the career of Richie Furay in the context of today’s Americana music scene. As part of Buffalo Springfield, Poco and The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, this Colorado legend has had a hand in forming, creating, fermenting and popularizing what used to be called “hippie country” into a new genre by injecting it with a solid dose of rock and roll. The 22 songs on two discs include Poco’s groundbreaking 1971 Deliverin’ album in its entirety. Eagle Timothy B. Schmit is on hand to add his distinctive vocals, as does Jesse Furay Lynch, Richie’s daughter. Add banjo, tambourine, more guitars, keyboards, harmonica, drums, pedal steel and dobro and you’ve got one big-time evening where the Troubadour denizens go righteously wild.
GOLDMINE: Why wasn’t Poco bigger than it was?
RICHIE FURAY: We paved the way. We laid the groundwork, but, for whatever reason, there was a lack of connection with AM radio. And that’s the bottom line for me. Had we connected with AM radio, I think things might’ve been different for Poco. They did have some AM success after I left the band, but why AM radio should make such a difference, I’ll never know. New York City and Boston, though, always loved us. We sure had some fun in those two towns. Good times for sure.
GM: Where were you in the 1980s?
RF: Right after Souther-Hillman-Furay, I made some life changes. That’s when I became a Christian, a believer. I accepted Christ. Started a church. There were some other things going on as well. I had been separated for seven months from my wife of seven years. My whole focus at the time was to put my family back together. I did and we’ve been married now for 54 years. It’s a great blessing.
GM: In 2015, you told me the story of the missing guitar. You were heartbroken when you lost it. Your wife said she’d pray for its return. You scoffed at such a notion.
She was right! Her prayers brought my guitar back! She had always been a believer. Prayer was an important part of her life. When we reunited, it became an important part of mine as well.
