50 years ago, singer-songwriter Stephen Stills met singer-songwriter Judy Collins, known for her piercing ocean blue eyes. Their tumultuous love affair would later be immortalized by Stills with his composition “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” performed by Crosby, Stills & Nash on their landmark debut. This summer, the two icons of folk will celebrate the golden anniversary of their formative time together. Their joint summer tour marks the first time ever Stills and Collins have been onstage together for a full-length concert.
For this once in a lifetime experience, the two music legends will pull from their rich catalogs, debut songs from their upcoming album, due out Summer of 2017, and share warm and intimate stories from their journeys and the 1960s folk and Laurel Canyon scenes they helped build.
Stills and Collins met in 1967 and dated for two years. Stills wrote and demoed his legendary love song to Collins right after he left Buffalo Springfield, before he joined CSN. “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” is a five-section romantic epic brimming with heartfelt sincerity. The song has been ranked No. 418 in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time poll.
In addition to “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” Stills is best known for the hits “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield and “Love The One You’re With” from his solo debut, Stephen Stills. He’s a multi-instrumentalist, a composer and ranked No. 28 in Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He has the added distinction of being the first artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice in one night (for his work with CSN and Buffalo Springfield).
Collins is known for her eclectic palette as a solo artist, melding folk, rock, classical and jazz into a singular aesthetic. She’s earned five Grammy nominations, including one in 2017, and has one Grammy win. Outside of music, Collins has published two memoirs and one novel, and in 1975 she was nominated for an Academy Award for the documentary Antonia: A Portrait of the Woman. Collins is also a lifelong activist.