Stephen Stills Facts for Kids

This page is about the musician. For his self-titled album, see Stephen Stills (album). For the character in Scott Pilgrim, see Stephen Stills (Scott Pilgrim character).

Quick facts for kids Stephen Stills
Stills at the Beacon Theatre, 2012
Born	Stephen Arthur Stills (1945-01-03) January 3, 1945 (age 80) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Musician singer songwriter record producer
Years active	1963–present
Spouse(s)	Véronique Sanson (m. 1973; div. 1979) Pamela Anne Jordan (m. 1988; div. 1995) Kristen Stills (m. 1996)
Children	7
Musical career
Genres	Rock folk country psychedelia
Instruments	Vocals guitar bass guitar keyboards
Labels	Atlantic Columbia Reprise Vision Raven Titan/Pyramid Talking Elephant

Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is famous for his work with the bands Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. He also had a successful solo career and formed the band Manassas.

Stills is a very talented guitarist. Rolling Stone magazine named him one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He is the first person ever to be welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice in the same night. This was for his work with both Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Over his long career, he has sold more than 35 million albums.

Early Life and Music
A Musical Journey
Personal Life
Musical Style
Discography
- Studio Albums
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Music

Stills was born in Dallas, Texas. His father was in the military, so his family moved around a lot when he was a child. He lived in Florida, Louisiana, and even countries like Costa Rica and El Salvador. This travel exposed him to different kinds of music, like blues, folk, and Latin music, which influenced his style.

As a young man, he played in several bands. In the early 1960s, he moved to New York City to be part of the folk music scene in Greenwich Village. He joined a group called the Au Go Go Singers, where he met Richie Furay, who would later be in a band with him.

After the Au Go Go Singers broke up, Stills moved to California. He wanted to form a new band that mixed folk music with rock and roll. This led to the creation of his first famous group.

A Musical Journey

Buffalo Springfield (1966–1968)

Buffalo Springfield in 1966

In Los Angeles, Stills, Richie Furay, and Neil Young started the band Buffalo Springfield. The band became famous for mixing folk, country, and rock music. Stills and Young were the two lead guitarists, creating a unique and powerful sound.

Stills wrote the band's biggest hit, "For What It's Worth". The song became an anthem for the 1960s. He also wrote other popular songs for the band, like "Bluebird" and "Rock & Roll Woman". Buffalo Springfield was a big success, but the band members had disagreements and broke up in 1968.

After the band split, Stills worked with musician Al Kooper on the album Super Session. The album sold well and showed off Stills's amazing guitar skills.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1969–1970)

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in 1970

After Buffalo Springfield, Stills joined with David Crosby from the band The Byrds and Graham Nash from The Hollies. They formed the trio Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN). Their beautiful vocal harmonies made them instantly famous.

Stills was a key part of the group's sound. On their first album, he played most of the instruments, including bass, organ, and lead guitar. He also wrote some of their most famous songs, like "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes", which was about his relationship with singer Judy Collins. The album was a huge hit and won them a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

To go on tour, the group needed more musicians. They asked Neil Young, Stills's old bandmate from Buffalo Springfield, to join them. The group became Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY). As a quartet, they released the album Déjà Vu, which went to number 1 on the charts. The band played at the famous Woodstock music festival in 1969.

Solo Success and Manassas (1970–1973)

Manassas performing in 1972

After CSNY's initial success, all four members released solo albums. Stills's first solo album, Stephen Stills, came out in 1970. It featured famous guest musicians like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. The album included his biggest solo hit, "Love the One You're With".

His second solo album, Stephen Stills 2, was also a success. During this time, Stills was at the peak of his solo fame and toured across the country, playing in huge arenas like Madison Square Garden.

In 1971, Stills formed a new band called Manassas with Chris Hillman, a former member of The Byrds. Their first album was a double album that mixed many styles of music, including rock, blues, and country. The band toured around the world but broke up after their second album in 1973.

Reunions and Later Career

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, August 1974

Throughout the 1970s and beyond, Stills often reunited with Crosby, Nash, and sometimes Young. In 1974, CSNY went on a massive stadium tour, one of the first of its kind. In 1977, the trio CSN released the album CSN, which became their best-selling record.

Stills continued to release solo albums, including Stills (1975) and Illegal Stills (1976). In 1976, he also teamed up with Neil Young to form The Stills-Young Band and release the album Long May You Run.

CSN and CSNY continued to tour and record albums through the 1980s and 1990s. In 1997, Stills was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice on the same night for his work with Buffalo Springfield and CSN.

In recent years, Stills has stayed active in music. He released a solo album, Man Alive!, in 2005. In 2013, he formed a blues-rock band called The Rides with guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd and keyboardist Barry Goldberg. In 2017, he released an album with Judy Collins, the singer who inspired "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" nearly 50 years earlier.

Personal Life

Stills has been married three times and has seven children. Several of his children are also musicians. His son, Chris Stills, is a singer-songwriter, and his daughter, Jennifer Stills, is also a recording artist.

Stills has been involved in politics and has supported liberal causes. In 2008, he had a successful operation for prostate cancer. He continues to perform at special events and benefit concerts.

Musical Style

Stephen Stills is known for his versatile musicianship. He is a master of many genres, including rock, blues, folk, and country. Latin music has also been a big influence on his guitar playing and rhythm.

He is a multi-instrumentalist who can play guitar, bass, keyboards, and many other instruments. He is especially known for his unique guitar style, which includes using different guitar tunings to create special sounds. This can be heard on famous songs like "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" and "Carry On".