English Professor Publishes a Biography on Country-Rock Pioneer

Dr. Thomas M. Kitts, Professor of English in The Collins College of Professional Studies, recently published a biography entitled Keep on Believin’: The Life and Music of Richie Furay (Penn State University Press). In this biography of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Dr. Kitts documents Furay’s life and his development into a groundbreaking musician and an extraordinary songwriter and vocalist.

As a teenager, Dr. Kitts first saw Furay and his band Poco perform at the Festival for Peace at Shea Stadium in New York City in 1970. Poco’s combination of rock and country had Kitts riveted. He has followed Furay’s career from that day forward.

In the book, Dr. Kitts argues that Furay has never received the level of success or recognition he deserves for either his pioneering work in the country-rock movement, his songwriting, or his vocals. Furay’s career and legacy has been hurt by at least a couple of factors: the lack of a hit single or a signature FM song (despite candidates like “A Good Feelin’ to Know,” “Let’s Dance,” and “Keep on Believin’”), and the lack of support of his record label after his conversion to Christianity in 1974. “They didn’t know what to do with him,” Dr. Kitts said.

When asked what he hopes readers will take away from the book, Dr. Kitts explains, “I hope readers will appreciate, or appreciate more, Furay’s music and understand its influence and power. In addition, I hope readers will appreciate his very American life, one full of creativity, curiosity, daring, and re-invention.”

Please click here to learn more about Professor’s Kitts biography on Furay.