Richie Furay and Randy Stonehill Health Scares Are a Wake-Up Call to Us All

In late 2021, Richie Furay, member of Buffalo Springfield and creator of country/rock pioneers Poco, recorded a medley of “Bad Weather,” written by his Poco bandmate Paul Cotton and recorded on the band’s 1971 album “From the Inside,” and “Crazy Love,” written by Rusty Young who was with Poco from the beginning; the song, which turned out to be Poco’s biggest hit, was on the band’s 1978 album “Legend” (Furay left the band in 1973). Cotton and Young each passed away earlier in 2021.

Furay, now 82, has understandably been winding down his performing days for some time. He has one final stop in Southern California planned for November 2026, with shows in Escondido on the 6th and San Juan Capistrano on the 7th. The concert venues will be filled with the faithful, literally and figuratively, as the audience in attendance will be comprised of Buffalo Springfield, Poco, and Souther-Hillman-Furay Band fans alongside aficionados of Furay’s solo work, plus those who fondly remember Furay’s post-conversion work musically plus ministerially at Calvary Chapel Santa Ana and later as a pastor of the Calvary Chapel in Broomfield, Colorado.

Furay’s fans are thankful to have one more time with him in concert, while Furay’s friends and admirers are thankful to have one more time with him period after a health scare in September of this year (2026).

What a couple of days the last couple were. Wednesday started off with a great rehearsal (Dan and I sounded like professionals) but just as we finished - something was "off", something didn't feel right and eventually I ended up at the ER. (I actually sat in the lobby trying to convince myself everything was OK - I know what the ER is like.) Finally, as Nancy and I were thinking about a snack at the kiosk I decided - I was checkin in. After a few blood tests ("the life of the flesh is in the blood" Leviticus 17:11) they came back and said I needed to be admitted to the hospital. Really? I just had some pressure and a little tightness in my upper chest.

Well I was admitted and was informed from the ER I needed an angiogram and it was scheduled for the next morning (Thursday). There was a pretty substantial blockage that was causing the discomfort. It was repaired and now I belong to the "stent" club - but what a couple of days. Oh, they called my condition a "cardiac event". I am thankful that I listened to the "still small voice" that convinced me to get to the ER. A potential disaster was caught before it was a full blown heart attack. Thank you Jesus!

What I want to say is, you know your body better than anyone and if something doesn't "feel right", "feels off", especially in the chest area - don't assume it's nothing; GET IT CHECKED OUT!

I tried to talk myself out of going to the ER but finally acquiesced and got checked out. I am thankful that I did as it was more than just a little bump in the journey - it had the potential of ending the journey.

That's why my Scripture today read:

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;

Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.

More recently — as in last Monday, September 28, 2026 — Christian rock pioneer Randy Stonehill, whom I interviewed here in September 2026 regarding the campaign to re-release his seminal “Welcome to Paradise” album that originally came out 50 years ago, had a heart-related health scare of his own.

Hey my friends, speaking of KICKSTARTERS…the Lord graciously KICKSTARTED my heart after I suffered a surprise heart attack on Monday night. The next morning I had heart cath surgery at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, WI. I’m recovering well and grateful to still be here on Terra Firma with you all! Everything seems more rich and vivid to me now. The reissue of "Welcome To Paradise" is more precious than ever to me. This 50 year mile marker reminds me that time is fleeting. It’s been a gift from God to have created music for Him that He still uses to speak to hearts!

Richie Furay and Randy Stonehill’s heart issues serve as a wake-up call to all of us lions in autumn that our time on this earth, even if it may not seem short when you’re in the middle of going through whichever variation of the proverbial “it” is presently afflicting you, is, in fact, just that. The call to live our lives for Jesus as witnesses to and for Him in word and especially in deed has never been stronger. The scoffers from then and now who enjoy mocking those of us who expected the imminent Second Coming of Christ back in the heady days of our youthful exuberance in discovering Him are reminded that regardless of our getting carried away at the time with eschatological pursuits, His return is indeed 50 years closer now than it was then and remains just as certain no matter the day of His coming. As it is written in Hebrews:

So, as the Holy Spirit says:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
during the time of testing in the wilderness,
where your ancestors tested and tried me,
though for forty years they saw what I did.
That is why I was angry with that generation;
I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
and they have not known my ways.’
So I declared on oath in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

A crucial part of this calling is to keep our leaders, many of whom are now in the latter days of their time here on earth, in prayer that they will remain fully functional and working on our behalf. Some, of course, have willingly turned away from Jesus in pursuit of false gods such as a supreme government as ruler rather than Jesus serving as ruler of all. But keep them in prayer anyway. God can reach the hardest heart. Let none be able to say they were not aware of the Eternal Truth.

And don’t forget to enjoy the music.

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