Pickin' Up the Pieces: The Heart and Soul of Country Rock Pioneer Richie Furay

A truly inspiring story. Open and honest, it shows that one can be at the top of the world in the eyes of observers, but on the inside there is still a void that needed to be filled. Richie Furay told a story of pursuit, fame, disappointment, despair, and triumph. If you think you "want it all", this book's for you. If you think you "have it all" this book's for you. If you think that you have "nothing", this book is for you.

I have been a fan of Richie's since Buffalo Springfield and Poco. I was fortunate enough to correspond with him a few years ago and got a glimmer of the man. This book takes you with Richie on a wonderful ride, from folk to rock to country (always the pioneer)to his present position of Pastor, Calvery Chapel, Boulder, CO and a true child of God. This may be a disappointment to your average rock fan (see John Einarson's book for that) but for a glimpse into Richie's life and work, this is absolutely a Wonder!!

this story was told with so much honesty and love for music and faith that I could not put it down. thoroughly enjoyable! thank you, Richie for sharing your joys and heartaches with your fans! may you continue to create great music!

"Pickin' Up The Pieces" is a book that has you from the first page, I couldn't put it down. It's a great read, you feel as if Richie has said, "Come on in, sit yourself down, and I'll tell you my life story - or as much as I can fit in these pages." It really is like a private visit with one of the best singer/songwriters of all time. I think Richie did a great job of putting just the right amount of God, family, friends, and his music in this, his second and in my opinion, his best book. This time he has let us in on his life, before, during and after his rise to fame in the music business. This is a wonderful book about Richie's life, loves, sorrows, heartaches, music and of course the best part - his path to accepting Jesus as Lord of his life. I really enjoyed the pictures he included in the book too. Richie at 10 months, a fourth grader, age 8 with his first guitar, a Gibson ES295 and his senior picture. Plus pictures of the many friends who helped him along the way. Pictures of his fellow band members, and pictures of other famous people he knows as friends. And of course pictures of his "Kind Woman" Nancy, their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren as well as pictures of Richie's mother, father and sister. The worst part of this book for me - was that it had to come to an end. When I had finished reading it, I wanted more. But, that's how a "Real Rock-n-Roll Legend" leaves the stage - with the fans wanting more. I hope this won't be Richie's last book, as he can now add author to his many, many talents. Richie is truly a blessing to everyone he comes in contact with - he always makes time for his fans and friends. He spreads light, joy and gladness wherever he goes. Once you meet him and see that special glow he has, you will never forget him. He is a wonderful, loving, down to earth, man of God. I highly recommend this book,

A couple of years back I had the good fortune of "working" elbow-to-elbow with Richie at a Poco-Richie Furay-Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen show in Southern California. In between Richie's joshing of me selling Chris and Herb cds and mine of his selling his solo works, I found Richie to be warm, gregarious and funny -not to mention a great singer, though not as good as Chris! Seriously, this is the candid biography of one of the chief pioneers - along with Hillman, Gram Parsons, Gene Clark, Larry Murray, Clarence White and Rick Nelson of that splendid genre known as California Country Rock. While an autobiography, it is also a chronicle of a time and a place so dear to many of us who can relate to the lyrics of the Eagles' "Sad Cafe" or John Beland's "California Jukebox". Richie's tale is a candid one, of sometimes just barely avoiding that "dark side" that claimed Gram, an old friend of his from even prior to the Buffalo Springfield!, of witnessing tensions between his friends and bandmates Stephen Stills and Neil Young in the Springfield; and then there's Poco. While I do strongly disagree with Richie's contention that Poco was the first Country Rock band (Hillman was singing Country songs in the Byrds even before Gram and the "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" album, also, the Burritos came on the scene slightly before Poco with a more edgy, more countrified sound), his contributions to the genre (remember "A Good Feeling to Know"?) cannot be denied. Richie also cast light on what happened with Souther-Hillman-Furay, (although I wish he had written more about that group - he was going through a lot when he joined together with J.D. Souther and Hillman)and his passages about the brilliant drummer but mentally unbalanced man Jim Gordon are poignant. Furay also talks about his brief return to the reunited Poco, and why he chose to left them. Above all, Furay talks about his relationship with God, specifically Jesus, and how he came to know Christ through the almost unlikely way of joining a Rock (Country Rock) group. In S-H-F, he met the great steel, dobro, and guitar player Al Perkins, (whom Hillman had brought along with him from Furay's old Springfield partner Stephen Stills' Manassas). Perkins helped Furay get through some dark patches and to paraphase Hillman, "carried him through when he had his doubts" - and when his wife had left him. How he found the Lord, and renewed his Loving relationship with his wife is a focal point of this book. Throughout it all, Richie is a man full of enthusiasm for life and his love of wife, family and God. He will also admit faults and weaknesses, but is also stubborn in his believes and principles (in fact, he chose to leave the reunited Poco because of conflicts between what the band was doing and his Christian lifestyle). A man certainly cannot be faulted but very much admired for that. A much more pleasant read than the recent John Einarson's gripping biography of the doomed Gene Clark, a contemporary of Ri