Stephen Stills

The first double inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on a single night.

Stephen Arthur Stills is an American musician and songwriter born on January 3, 1945, known for his pivotal work with Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Manassas. As both a solo artist and member of three successful bands, he has combined record sales exceeding 35 million albums. He holds the unique distinction of being the first person inducted twice on the same night into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ranked number 28 on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the greatest guitarists and number 47 in 2011, Stills composed "For What It's Worth" early in his career with Buffalo Springfield, creating one of the most recognizable songs of the 1960s.

Quick Facts

Birth name

Stephen Arthur Stills

Born

3 January 1945

Birthplace

Dallas, Texas, U.S.

Occupation

Musician
singer
songwriter
record producer

Years active

1963–present

Spouse

Véronique Sanson (1973–1979)
Pamela Ann Jordan (1987–1995)
Kristen Hathaway (1996)

Children

Lore & Background

Stills began his professional journey with Buffalo Springfield, contributing hits like "Sit Down, I Think I Love You," "Bluebird," and "Rock & Roll Woman." The band's twin lead guitars from Stills and Neil Young provided a hard edge to their folk-country-psychedelic mix. After the group disbanded in May 1968 due to management distrust and bassist Bruce Palmer's deportation, Stills played on half of Al Kooper's "Super Session" album, featuring a heavy radio play cover of Donovan's "Season of the Witch." His first solo album, "Stephen Stills," earned a gold record and remains the only album to feature both Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Its single "Love the One You're With" became his biggest solo hit, peaking at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Reader's Guide

Stills' career includes forming Manassas in 1972 with Chris Hillman. In summer 1974, Neil Young reunited with CSN after a four-year hiatus for the massive CSNY 1974 tour, one of the first stadium tours and the largest the band has done to date, recorded and released in 2014. The trio reunited again in 1977 for their best-selling record "CSN." Throughout the 1980s, CSN and CSNY continued to achieve platinum albums. As a session musician between 1968 and 1972, Stills played on Joni Mitchell's albums including "Song to a Seagull," "Clouds," "Ladies of the Canyon," "Blue," and "For the Roses." His aggressive rhythmic style influenced her dulcimer sound, heard on "Carey" and the 1970 album "Blue."

Did You Know?

He was diagnosed with partial hearing loss in one ear at age nine, which increased as he got older.
Stills was rejected from The Monkees because producers felt he was not photogenic enough, though they accepted his recommendation for Peter Tork.
His hit "For What It's Worth" reached No. 7 on the US charts shortly after Buffalo Springfield's formation in 1966.
During a CSN&Y set at Altamont Free Concert, Stills was repeatedly stabbed in the leg by a Hells Angel with a sharpened bicycle spoke.