Why You Rarely Hear About Graham Nash These Days
It's not easy being a world-renowned celebrity. There are certain perks, granted, like the millions of dollars, the widespread adoration, and ... well, that's probably enough for most of us. The issue is, though, there's no telling how long it will last.
In an instant, fame can turn to notoriety, tastes can change, or rifts can form in beloved bands leaving them no option but to split. Video can kill the radio star, or your 15 minutes of fame can expire before you know it.
Some stars' careers end far too soon. The ranks of the so-called 27 Club, per Biography, are filled by those tragic musicians, such as Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, and Janis Joplin, who died at that tender age with so much more yet to do and to give. Others, like Elton John and Dolly Parton, just seem to go from strength to strength, continuing to create and innovate in their later years.
Graham Nash is an interesting case for another reason. The British musician seemed to fade out of the limelight slowly. Here's why.
The legendary Crosby, Stills & Nash
As The Daily Telegraph reports, Nash was born in Blackpool, England in February 1942. Music would, it seems, be a huge part of his life from the off. More specifically, musical collaborations. According to the outlet, the young schoolboy Nash found a musical partner in Allan Clarke. By their teenage years, they were performing as Ricky and Dane Young. Further collaborations saw their numbers swell until Nash was an up-and-comer in a group that would become known as the Hollies.
From there, tremendous success awaited. Per Britannica, the 1968 creation of Crosby, Stills & Nash brought together three of the biggest musical names of their era (David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Nash himself), and were, for a time, also joined by Neil Young as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It was a lineup for the ages, and their releases were legendary. 1970's "Déjà Vu" was deemed by AllMusic's Bruce Eder to have been "One of the most hotly awaited second albums in history," a chart-topping "product of four potent musical talents who were all ascending to the top of their game."
As a solo performer, per Nash's official website, he found great success too. Beginning in earnest in 1971, he released several solo albums, and 1977 would see Crosby, Stills & Nash launch a reunion album. 2012 marked the band's most recent release, a compilation of some of their iconic live performances. Of late, however, Nash's more low-profile commitments and his personal struggles have seen him become rather quiet.
Nash and the supergroup fell out
As Nash's official website reports, he is not just a much-beloved musician. There are several more strings to his bow. A budding photographer as a child, he still embraces the art. The November 2021 release "A Life In Focus: The Photography of Graham Nash" is a testament to this. It also stands to reason, though, that photography books do not a rock star make, and so the releases he is putting out these days aren't quite of the international-headline-grabbing caliber they perhaps once were.
In August 2016, Nash explained to Rolling Stone that his life was taking a new, quieter course, one that he was less willing to share with his fellow musical legends. It was no secret that the successful supergroup had a tumultuous relationship, and Nash had become more and more unwilling to try and patch up something that wasn't working. "I ran out of patience with it all," he said, though he acknowledged that future work with the group wasn't entirely ruled out: "If Crosby came and played me four songs that knocked me on my a**, what ... am I supposed to do as a musician?"
At the time, Nash was newly divorced and living in New York with his girlfriend Amy Grantham. "My life has changed completely," he concluded to the outlet. It seems as though it certainly has, as he has attempted to start afresh and correct the elements that he thought weren't working for him.
Despite a quiet(er) life, Nash is still rocking
By 2019, Nash seemed sure that he and his fellows in Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young would never play again. "I tried my best to keep it all together for the friendship, the music, and the money," he told The Guardian in May of that year. "No, absolutely not. Not a shot in hell," he answered when asked of the chances of the band playing again.
He also told the outlet of his wife Amy Grantham's influence on him. "My life has changed because she won't stand for any of my bull***t," he bluntly stated. "She says: 'No, that's not the way it is; this is the way I see it.' And invariably she's correct ... I've got someone ... who will love me in spite of my weaknesses." Nash was particularly introspective on the subject of his children, and the estrangement between them: "If they don't want me in their lives, that's their choice. I don't agree with it, but I will honor their choice."
Though things are now rather quieter on the Nash front, he continues to perform. In November of 2022, per American Songwriter, he shared details of his 2023 tour "Sixty Years of Songs and Stories." He will perform across the United States from April to July of 2023. "Now," his latest album, will also hit stores that year.