Worship Musician January 2020 | Page 77

Whitcomb. It was my first rock concert and I musical journey that’s lasted over 50 years. Singers broke up. All of this is more detailed in was mesmerized by the Springfield. Several The “City” was intimidating, but we adapted my book Pickin’ Up The Pieces. months later I met Richie backstage at a quite nicely and became a part of the scene Springfield concert in 1967. I was in 10 th grade. even though things were changing rapidly. It [WM] I’ve often thought that those “folkies” Little did I realize that just 8 years later through was at this time I met Stephen Stills who was going electric after Dylan first did it at the 1965 my connection at church with pedal steel guitar on the same musical path, and we became Newport Folk Festival, followed by the Byrds, virtuoso Al Perkins, I would reconnect with friends. We joined together with five others and brought such a massive force of power to rock Richie and find myself recording on his first solo became the house band at the Café Au Go Go and roll. Possessing a unique musical arsenal album and touring as part of the 1976 Richie and were called The Au Go Go Singers. It was of fingerpicking stylings, song crafting, vocal Furay Band. then, we had our first taste of the “big time” harmonies, and social commentary in lyric, folk musicians were a venerable force to be [WM] I know that you left your Yellow Springs, Ohio, home and Otterbein College to pursue folk music in New York City during the early 60’s. Although it might have been at the tail end of the Folk Music Revival, Greenwich Village must have held such high esteem and expectation in your eyes during your arrival there. What are your recollections of those days? [Richie Furay] When I think back on it today, it seems so out of character for me, I’m not so adventuresome in my older age! But back then, there was nothing that was going to stop me from seeing this adventure through. It’s pretty amazing as I look back on the journey. Two of my buddies from college and I were in the acapella choir and we had a spring concert trip planned for the east coast the second year of college. We were the local folk trio doing Peter, Paul and Mary and Kingston Trio songs and had established a bit of a reputation doing different events and “serenading” the girl’s dorms. All was on schedule for us to have a night off in New York City and certainly the anticipation was exciting. Then, I had an appendix rupture at Christmas time, and it seemed the dream was shattered. I dropped out of school and went to work in a local factory in my hometown. Somehow, I worked it out with the school to “Buffalo Springfield. That was a big one. reckoned with when they plugged in. It was during this time that you met Stephen Stills. It a sense your song from Hand in Hand, “We Were the Dreamers”, might predate your Poco (the namesake of this song’s recollections I saw them back and references) days, because in some ways in ’67 or 68. They it might also relate to this earlier period of life came to Gainesville correct here? and played with The [Richie] You are right in some respects. Beach Boys and I with Stephen. You were both dreamers. Am I What was happening in the music scene was changing rapidly with the “experiment of never got over it. electric instruments”. Not everyone was on It was really mind- what was happening. It was during the time I blowing. I thought, from New York City, Gram Parsons, brought a “That’s as good as board and the “purists” really frowned upon was diverted to Pratt & Whitney that my friend record up to Connecticut for me to hear, and it changed everything for me. That record made me all the more determined to get back it’s supposed to to music. It was the Byrds’ first record, and be, maybe better!”. hearing “Mr. Tambourine Man” electric and with (Tom Petty, from the who had gone to California at this time. When documentary film P&W and headed to California where because Echo in the Canyon) such great harmonies, I set out to find Stephen he got back in touch with me, I quit my job at Stephen had said that he had a band and all he needed was another singer. That’s all it took, let me go on the trip, so everything was back and I was on my way. Of course, when I got on schedule. When we arrived in NYC the only there, the band was just me and him! Yes, we thing on our mind was to go to “The Village” when we did a Rudy Vallee, “On Broadway were dreamers. I think whenever you start out and see what doors would open. As it turned Tonight”, TV show; made a record for Roulette on a journey like this you have to dream a bit. out, three places let us play during the audience Records, and did an “off Broadway” play (that My dream started when I saw Ricky Nelson on turnover and we thought we had made the “big was off, off Broadway in two weeks). I was the Ozzie and Harriet Show. But the song “We time”. I convinced Bob (Harmelink) and Nels smitten and would never look back except for Were the Dreamers” was specifically about the (Gustafson) to go back with me that summer a short diversion at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in other group I would form a couple of years later, and that became the beginning of this incredible East Hartford, Connecticut, after The Au Go Go Poco. January 2020 Subscribe for Free... 77