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Poco (band)

From Alfawiki
Poco
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1968
FounderRichie Furay, Jim Messina, Rusty Young, Randy Meisner, George Grantham
Headquarters
United States
ProductsStudio albums, live performances

Poco was an American country rock ensemble established in 1968 following the dissolution of Buffalo Springfield. The founding members were guitarists Richie Furay and Jim Messina, multi-instrumentalist Rusty Young, bassist Randy Meisner, and drummer George Grantham. During the production of their debut album, Pickin' Up the Pieces, Meisner exited the group, although his bass performances and vocals remained featured on the final cut. He was succeeded by Timothy B. Schmit in 1969. Messina departed in 1970 and was replaced by Paul Cotton. Over the years, the lineup underwent numerous changes, with Rusty Young remaining the only continuous member. A reunion of original members took place between the late 1980s and early 1990s. Poco continued their live performances until 2021, having ceased regular touring in 2013 due to Young’s declining health; he died from a heart attack in April 2021.

Throughout their career, the band produced 19 studio albums, with their most commercially successful being 1978’s Legend, which included the hit single "Crazy Love" that reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Adult Contemporary chart. Their last studio release was All Fired Up in 2013.

Poco is acknowledged as a trailblazer of the Southern California country rock genre. Although three members have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for contributions to other bands—Furay with Buffalo Springfield, and Meisner and Schmit with the Eagles—Poco itself has not been nominated for Hall of Fame status since becoming eligible in 1995.

Formation

While recording Buffalo Springfield’s final album, Last Time Around, lead vocalists Stephen Stills, Neil Young, and Richie Furay worked on tracks independently. One of Furay’s solo recordings was "Kind Woman," a country-tinged ballad created alongside producer/engineer/bassist Jim Messina and pedal steel guitarist Rusty Young.

Following Buffalo Springfield’s breakup, Furay, Messina, and Rusty Young formed a new band centered on similar musical styles. The initial lineup featured Furay on vocals and rhythm guitar, Messina handling lead guitar, vocals, and production duties, Rusty Young playing pedal steel guitar, banjo, dobro, guitar, mandolin, and providing vocals, with George Grantham on drums and vocals, and Randy Meisner on bass and vocals. They signed with Epic Records, which acquired Furay’s contract from Atco Records in exchange for rights to Graham Nash. Originally called "Pogo," they changed their name to "Poco" after legal action from the creator of the comic strip bearing that name.

Furay period (1969–1973)

Their first album, Pickin' Up the Pieces (1969), is regarded as an early country rock milestone but achieved only moderate commercial performance, reaching No. 63 on the Billboard 200. Meisner left during recording due to disagreements with Furay; he later became a founding member of the Eagles. Messina temporarily took over bass duties until Timothy B. Schmit joined later in 1969.

The subsequent album Poco (1970) climbed to No. 58 on the charts. Their live record Deliverin' peaked at No. 26 and included Furay’s minor charting single "C'mon". In October 1970, Messina departed over creative disputes and returned to producing studios before forming Loggins & Messina. He suggested guitarist/vocalist Paul Cotton as his replacement.

With Steve Cropper at the production helm, From the Inside (1971) reached No. 52 but did not translate to strong sales. The band then collaborated with producer Jack Richardson for three albums beginning with A Good Feelin' to Know (1972), which peaked at No. 69 despite strong live appeal. Furay became disheartened as his former bandmates achieved greater success elsewhere.

The 1973 release Crazy Eyes reached No. 38 but coincided with Furay’s exit to establish the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band under Asylum Records. Poco continued onward as a four-piece without replacing him.

Post-Furay period (1973–1977)

After Furay's departure, Poco produced two additional albums under Epic Records: Seven and Cantamos, which reached positions Nos. 68 and 76 on the charts, respectively. Subsequently, they transitioned to ABC-Dunhill Records, where they released Head Over Heels. This album included Schmit’s acoustic track "Keep On Tryin'," which became their highest-charting single, peaking at No. 50 on the Hot 100.

Epic compiled and released The Very Best of Poco, which competed in sales with Head Over Heels, though neither achieved significant commercial success. Later ABC releases such as Rose Of Cimarron reached a peak chart position of No. 89. Additionally, Epic issued a live album in 1976.

Al Garth briefly joined the band for touring purposes in 1976 but left before the year ended. That summer, Poco was scheduled to tour alongside the Stills-Young Band, but Neil Young's withdrawal caused the tour's cancellation.

The 1977 album Indian Summer attained a peak chart position of No. 57, with its title track reaching No. 50. The involvement of Donald Fagen from Steely Dan signaled a departure from Poco’s traditional country rock style.

Period of Commercial Success (1977–1980)

In August 1977, Schmit exited Poco to join the Eagles, once again replacing Meisner. A live album that had already been recorded was shelved until its eventual release in 2004 as The Last Roundup. Poco entered a hiatus; Grantham withdrew temporarily while Young and Cotton formed the Cotton-Young Band with British musicians Steve Chapman and Charlie Harrison.

ABC consented to release their new album only if it carried the Poco name. Grantham departed due to disagreements over publishing rights and business matters. After brief collaborations with other artists, he became part of Ricky Skaggs’ band.

The 1978 release Legend, initially intended as a Cotton-Young project, emerged as Poco’s most commercially successful album. It featured two Top 20 singles: Rusty Young’s "Crazy Love," which dominated Adult Contemporary charts for seven consecutive weeks in early 1979, and Cotton’s "Heart of the Night." This album earned Poco their first RIAA gold certification.

Keyboardist Kim Bullard joined the group in December 1978 following the album's release. When ABC was acquired by MCA Records in early 1979, Poco remained on the roster and Legend was reissued under MCA.

Building on this momentum, Poco performed at the Musicians United for Safe Energy concerts held at Madison Square Garden in September 1979; their hit "Heart of the Night" was included on the associated live compilation alongside prominent artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Jackson Browne.

1980–1999

Throughout the early 1980s, Poco released five albums: Under the Gun (1980), Blue And Gray (1981), and Cowboys & Englishmen (1982) under MCA, followed by a move to Atlantic Records for Ghost Town (1982) and Inamorata (1984). None replicated the success of Legend, with sales steadily declining.

Their song "I'll Leave it Up to You" was featured in the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. On Inamorata, Poco embraced an '80s pop aesthetic incorporating synthesizers and electronic drums; former members Schmit, Furay, and Grantham made guest appearances.

Following disappointing sales for Inamorata, Atlantic dropped Poco, though they continued performing in smaller venues. Bullard left in 1983 to rejoin Crosby, Stills & Nash; Harrison departed mid-1984. Jeff Steele and Rick Seratte briefly joined before being replaced by Jack Sundrud and Grantham in 1985. Grantham soon left again to join Steve Wariner’s band while Chapman returned on drums.

Relocating to Nashville, Poco recorded demos but failed to secure a new record deal. After occasional performances during 1986-87, Paul Cotton pursued solo projects until rejoining Poco in 1992; Rusty Young collaborated with Vince Gill during this interval.

Encouraged by Richard Marx and manager Allen Kovac, Poco reunited original members Young, Furay, Messina, Grantham, and Meisner for Legacy (1989) under RCA Records—marking two decades since their debut. Schmit declined participation; Cotton was bought out due to solo commitments. The album produced Top 20 hit "Call It Love" and Top 40 single "Nothing to Hide," earning their second gold certification.

With keyboardist Dave Vanacore added, they toured opening for Marx in early 1990 and appeared at Farm Aid IV. Furay departed due to ministry obligations; Sundrud replaced him for summer headlining tours.

Despite Legacy’s success, poor tour bookings—often playing near-empty military bases during Desert Shield deployments—led RCA to drop them and shelve subsequent recordings.

In 1991 Poco toured acoustically as a trio featuring Young, Messina, and Meisner; drummer Gary Mallaber joined for Japanese dates that July. By year-end Messina and Meisner resumed solo careers.

Young formed side project Four Wheel Drive with John Cowan, Bill Lloyd, and Patrick Simmons under RCA Nashville—later Warner Bros.—but legal complications necessitated renaming to The Sky Kings. Their sole album was delayed until after disbandment in 2000.

By early 1992 Rusty Young secured rights to the Poco name. Although officially inactive, he reunited sporadically with Cotton plus new members Richard Neville and Tim Smith for limited tours throughout the decade. Young and Cotton also performed as an acoustic duo.

On September 16, 1995, Poco appeared at Deadwood Jam in South Dakota with former Loggins & Messina drummer Merel Bregante substituting for Tim Smith.

2000–2013

After signing with Nashville manager Rick Alter and reuniting Grantham and Sundrud in June 2000—restoring the classic 1985 lineup—Poco became more active as a touring entity.

Their first studio effort in thirteen years, Running Horse (2002), was released via their official website. Furay, who had made guest appearances over time, reunited with Poco for a sold-out Nashville performance in May 2004 that led to the CD–DVD package Keeping the Legend Alive (2004).

On July 29, 2004 during a Springfield, Massachusetts show, Grantham suffered a stroke. For subsequent concerts, local drummer Chuck Woodhams filled in along with Muscle Shoals drummer George Lawrence—who became a permanent member in 2005. Due to costly medical expenses from Grantham’s recovery, the band established a donor fund on Poconut.org.

Continuing songwriting and live performances at festivals and venues followed. In 2005 they toured Europe briefly; Cotton missed final two shows due to hospitalization with Bill Lloyd substituting on several US dates. Cotton returned in 2006 solidifying a lineup featuring Young, Sundrud, Lawrence, and himself. Cotton and Sundrud released solo albums while Young worked on an autobiographical band history. Former members occasionally reunited with this lineup.

From 2009 onward Grantham made limited vocal appearances. Richie Furay and Jim Messina joined several performances between 2008–2009 including a California tour culminating at the Stagecoach Festival, which also featured Grantham and Timothy B. Schmit. They opened for Loggins and Messina featuring Furay, Messina, and Grantham.

Live acoustic albums such as Bareback at Big Sky (2005) and The Wildwood Sessions (2006) highlighted both new material and classic songs. The previously unreleased performance from September 30, 1971 was issued as Live at Columbia Studios, Hollywood (2010), showcasing Furay, Young, Schmit, Grantham, and Cotton.

In early 2010 Paul Cotton abruptly left Poco over financial disagreements with Young; he announced his departure via his website prior to upcoming Wildwood concerts. Young confirmed Cotton's exit shortly thereafter on Poco's official site. The band reformed with Young, Sundrud, Lawrence plus new keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Michael Webb from Nashville.

This formation continued touring and recording activities. In early 2012 they released a live video of "Neil Young" as a preview for their studio album All Fired Up, recorded in Nashville and released March 2013 through iTunes, their website, and European distributors. All tracks were written collaboratively by Young, Sundrud, and Webb on this self-produced release.

After forty-five years active continuously since inception in 1968, Rusty Young remained as the sole original member fronting every performance and recording session.

Retirement

At year-end 2013 Rusty Young announced his retirement after forty-five years with Poco citing the need for rest. A handful of farewell concerts were scheduled into early 2014 including a live recording intended for DVD documentary release. Young indicated occasional one-off appearances could occur but confirmed no further active touring would take place. He also focused on memoir writing alongside Sundrud creating music for children’s story videos under the name “Session Cats.” Meanwhile Lawrence, Sundrud, and Webb pursued individual projects within Nashville’s freelance scene. Young continued guest appearances alongside former Poco members as well as other country rock artists.

On January 9, 2015 Poco was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame (CMHOF), performing alongside Paul Cotton, Richie Furay, Timothy B. Schmit, and Rusty Young. Other inductees that year included Firefall, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Stephen Stills, and Manassas.

Between 2015–2021 Poco performed sporadic US dates without maintaining full-time touring status. In 2016 drummer Lawrence was succeeded by Rick Lonow (formerly of The Flying Burrito Brothers). Guitarist Lex Browning replaced Michael Webb in 2018; Tom Hampton took over from Browning for early-2020 tour dates before touring ceased due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Rusty Young passed away from a heart attack on April 14, 2021 at age seventy-five—marking an endpoint for Poco’s ongoing legacy. Three months later Paul Cotton died aged seventy-eight.

In March 2022 fans along with surviving members released tribute album My Friend: A Tribute To Rusty Young. A reunion/tribute concert titled “Poconut” occurred October 8 near Young’s residence in Steelville Missouri featuring Jack Sundrud, Tom Hampton, Rick Lonow with original drummer George Grantham providing harmony vocals alongside Michael Kelsh. Whether this event or another prior performance constituted Poco’s final appearance remains uncertain following Young’s death in 2021.

Selected studio reissues

In 1997 British label BGO Records reissued From the Inside and A Good Feelin' to Know on CD format; however remastering of From the Inside suffered from damaged tape sources while initial albums Pickin' Up the Pieces and Poco were reissued without tape degradation issues. These releases included brief histories of the band along with recording session notes.

In 2006 BGO paired four more albums across two CDs: pairing Seven with Cantamos, plus combining live debut Deliverin' with studio release Crazy Eyes. These editions contained detailed sleeve notes but no bonus tracks; remastering was completed by Jack Thompson although it is unclear if original masters or safety copies served as source material.

By 2011 BGO licensed remastered editions of four ABC/MCA titles also remastered by Thompson: two albums per CD pairing included Head over Heels with Rose of Cimarron, plus Under the Gun paired with Blue and Gray. These reissues featured extensive liner notes authored by John Tobler but did not contain additional bonus content.

Members

Final lineup

  • Rusty Young – steel guitar, rhythm guitar instruments including dobro & banjo plus mandolin & percussion along with vocals (1968–2021; deceased)
  • Jack Sundrud – bass guitar alongside rhythm guitar duties & vocals (1985–1987;1990–1991;2000–2021)
  • Rick Lonow – drums & percussion backing vocals (2016–2021)
  • Tom Hampton – lead guitar & vocals (2020–2021)

Discography

Studio albums

External links

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