Stephen Stills' Manassas College Tour

Ex-Byrd Chris Hillman and Manassas frontman Stephen Stills trade guitar licks in the spotlight from a tour of colleges in the South. Upon performances throughout each campus located in Austin, Baton Rouge, Oxford, Athens and Gainesville, Stills would wear different football jerseys on stage representing the local university team and address the audiences by saying, "It's good to be back home." All photos copyrighted and previously unviewed.

It wasn't so long ago that I'd pound my hands on the coffee table in keeping with the beat to a Stephen Stills song. Not to mention that I was in awe of his throaty hoarseness when reaching for a pure vocal pitch. How could he pull-off those difficult notes while consistently surrounding himself with world class musicians? Was this guy really that good? Yep, he sure was. Stephen Stills is truly a one-of-a-kind Superstar who charmed the great masses. In 1972, while on the road as the Atlantic Records advance man, my assigned task was to knock on doors alerting the media of his kick-ass tour coming to town. Plus, with my camera in hand and traveling credentials, I was now a part of the Manassas entourage. That's when bassist Fuzzy Samuels took me under his wing and taught me how to roll up a big fat Jamaican doobie. Plus, pedal-steel guitarist Al Perkins enjoyed just hanging-out with a fellow Southerner and talking about the Muscle Shoales rhythm section. Sure, the Rolling Stones thing came-up in our casual conversation. But he wasn't the glam type and that connection wasn't a good fit for his laid-back personality. Many don't recall him being considered as a replacement for guitarist Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones upon his departure from the supergroup.

Pictured here is guitarist Chris Hillman, percussionist Joe Lala and Stephen Stills as they take bows after a show in Gainesville, Fla. On this tour the favorite pastimes for band members were Mexican food, killer weed and bottles of Mescal Tequila including the worm. After this show and while in a festive mood, I combined those three potent ingredients resulting in me doing a face-plant into Tom Petty's stereo system at a band party located on his farm in rural Florida. Later that evening and under the glow of the full moon at midnight we searched for mushrooms in a neighboring cow pasture. Thank God we didn't find any.
Can you believe this? While jetting to the next gig, Road Manager Buddy Zoloth of Stephen Stills is exasperated by a Rolling Stone Magazine article of the Stills album. Pointing on the left is Phillip while in disbelief of the critical review.

Manassas two albums on Atlantic were a powerful mix of Rock, Folk, Country, Blues and Latin rhythms. Chris Hillman's influence is strongly felt on the Bluegrass-oriented material yet the groups music occasionally leans Afro-Cuban. Both albums, cut at Criteria Recording Studio in Miami, were tastefully done but ended-up sounding like a Buffalo Springfield-Santana hybrid.