Crosby Stills and Nash was formed when Stephen Stills and Neil Young left Buffalo Springfield in August 1968. Richie Furay who started out in Au Go Go Singers together with Stephen Stills and Jim Messina who also played in Buffalo Springfield formed Poco together with Rusty Young and George Grantham. At first they called them selves Pogo. Pogo was a comic strip written by Walt Kelly. Since Kelly served them a lawsuit, they had to change name.
The name Pogo was beginning to be established, so they needed something similar. It became Poco. Grantham and Young came from a Colorado band called Boenzee Cryque. On the first album Randy Meisner played bass guitar. Meisner came from the L.A. band The Poor. Meisner left after the first album (1969) and joined up with Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band and then The Eagles. He was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit. Schmit came from a band called Glad. He also played with a band called New Breed and one called Contenders (later Redwing). Messina left after three albums (1970) and formed Loggins and Messina together with Kenny Loggins. He was replaced by Paul Cotton. Cotton came from Illinois Speed Press and The Rovin Kind and The Mus-Twang. Furay left after six albums (1973) and started a new group with Chris Hillman and John David Souther. They called themselves Souther Hillman Furay Band. Timothy left the band after ten albums (1977) and joined up with The Eagles too after Meisner had left The Eagles.
When Grantham left the band after twelve albums (1977) to join a band called Secrets the group reformed. Steve Chapman came to play the drums. Charlie Harrison came to play the bass and Kim Bullard to play the keyboards. Harrison left after five albums (1982). Bullard has played with Crosby Stills and Nash. Harrison and Chapman have played with Leo Sayer's band and Al Stewart's band. Harrison also played with Roger McGuinn's Thunderbyrd.
In 1984 Grantham, Schmit and Furay played on the Inamorata album and in 1989 the origianal setting of Poco joined together for the Legacy album to celebrate 20 years of Poco as a gift to the fans and their friends.
The fans and their friends are still waiting for a follow-up.
After the breakup Rusty formed a new band called The Sky Kings. He has also toured as Poco together with Paul Cotton, Richard Neville and Tim Smith.
In early 2000 Paul Cotton, Rusty Young, George Grantham got back together again together with Jack Sundrud from Great Plains and toured frequently. Jack did also tour with Poco during the years 1985 - 1987.
