Spinner

Stephen Stills 'Revitalized' After Cancer Scare

Stephen StillsFor years, Stephen Stills wasn't feeling like himself. "I was really out of sorts and I didn't know why I was in such a funk," he tells Spinner. "I let myself get so fat." In 2008, he found out why. "I didn't realize for the previous five years I had been dragging a cancer around in there," he says. "When that stuff starts getting in there, it sort of f---s with your whole system, your mentality, your whole neurological system."

In June of 2008, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer had successful surgery for prostate cancer and a now he says the experience has given him a new appreciation for life and music. "Yes, there's an 'oh s---' factor to it that'll wake you up," he says of the harrowing experience. "But mainly I was just revitalized."

After the surgery, Stills knew exactly how to celebrate -- musically, of course. "I decided to get myself on film with my quartet right after playing a real long Crosby, Stills and Nash tour, while my chops are up, get loud and be just a keyboard player, bass player and drummer and do my favorite acoustic songs and be able to talk and tell stories and make fun of myself," he says.

It wasn't easy to get the film made. "I had to fight like hell to get anybody to go for it because I hadn't done anything. I'd been fallow for years and just sort of slogging along doing CSN tours," he says. "[My manager] Elliot Roberts said, 'You've got to get out there and just slug it out.' This is the result of a few months of that and saying, 'We've got to film this now. Even if I get better and we do other films later, we've got to film this and do it as best we can.'"

The result is the DVD, 'Live at Shepherd's Bush,' which is available now. "We've got me at the same theater where the Beatles filmed 'A Hard Day's Night,' right there at Shepherd's Bush and the fans were great. They laughed at my jokes and appreciated the stuff that I actually most like about my work," he says. "But there are some real surprises and the main thing is I carry the thing and it's beautifully filmed. We did the sound ourselves and developed a film of what it feels like onstage for us."

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Ohio Ani

Very glad to hear Stephen is doing so much better! Sorry that he's not going to be with Crosby & Nash tour this year. Maybe he'll be able to do the traditional election year tour next year, with the boy's.
Blessings to you Stephen!

March 02 2011 at 9:30 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
raul j nadal

stephen is my heroe i named my son after him.love you man

January 15 2011 at 9:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jim

what kind of a sleaze huckster are you? Stills talks about his prostate cancer and you are trying to hawk some car insurance BS! WTF are you that desperate?

November 04 2009 at 5:45 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Gary

Carry on..and judy blue eyes.....and a few others are classics..The man has made some beautiful music..Glad to see he is still trucking.

November 04 2009 at 2:45 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Andy Pratt

Cancer! yikes! Steven Stills is a great talent...glad he's better..bless him...

November 03 2009 at 11:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ray

I have cancer & its the best thing that has happened to me. Then i had a heart attack. Thank goodness i was at the top of my game. I was & still working out at least 5 times a week. I'm beating the cancer & my heart is AOK. I'm 64 at i'm at the top of my came. Life is good & i have a godess for a wife. I wood like to last alittle wile longer so when my Kathy retires we could do things together. I'm getting ready for my Christmas stuff to sell on the side of the road in Mount Dora Fl. I also have a 8' Xmas Moose. Come see me at 441 & wolf branch road. Chatch me before i bite the big the big one. Just kidding. Death is not that bad if you have beatufil people around you. Life is good enjoy L&KR&K.

November 03 2009 at 10:42 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Carolyn

Hope this guy will be around for years to come. He's a legend.
Angelo, you're right! Those ads in the comment boxes shouldn't be there. Every time I see one, I report it.
I doubt it does any good.
De Ting tings?

November 03 2009 at 10:11 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Carolyn's comment
angelo

i really never expected YOU of all people to read this and,...........comment...CAROLYN

November 04 2009 at 1:57 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ROM

QUESS NOBODY REMEMBERS WHO THIS IS BUT EVERYONE KNOWS DE TING TINGS

November 03 2009 at 9:22 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to ROM's comment
gennie

I remember who he is

November 04 2009 at 1:10 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Fergus Noonan

Great! for Stephen. Now comes the music.

November 03 2009 at 8:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
angelo

DOES ANYBODY WORKING FOR OR AT AOL SEE OR READ WHAT THESE BOTS OR PEOPLE ARE POSTING IN COMMENT BOXES?
DOES ANYBODY OTHER THAN THE READER CARE?
IM SURE THESE ARE PAID FOR ACCOUNTS WITH AOL & THATS WHY THEY(AOL) ALLOW THIS TO PERSIST!
ITS GETTING TO THE POINT ITS NO FUN NEMORE(STEPHEN STILLS SONG, GET IT? HA-HA) READING THE COMMENTS CAUSE THEYRE ARE SOOOO MANY ADVERTISEMENTS!!

November 03 2009 at 8:55 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to angelo's comment
AquilusDomini

aol fired most of its people, they don't even get to TOS complaints anymore...they frankly don't give a damn these days. they're going under and the staff is short.

November 04 2009 at 4:29 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply