Published on: October 25, 2024
Updated on: October 25, 2024

Stephen Stills in 1972 Wikipedia

By David Reading

An American author attempts to piece together a puzzle involving legendary musician Stephen Stills and a fan named Erica, who arrived in Guildford from the Netherlands in the early 1970s.

At the center of the story is a heartfelt five-page letter that Stills wrote to Erica in 1972, in response to a letter she had written to him.

At the time he wrote the letter, Stills was living at Brookfield House near Elstead, previously owned by Ringo Starr and before that the actor Peter Sellers. Stills had taken a temporary break from Crosby Stills band Nash & Young and was recording solo work at Brookfield House and in London.

aerial view of Brookfield House, Elstead Google

It seems that Erica was inspired to write to him after hearing about his life in Surrey and was surprised to receive a long and thoughtful response.

Fast forward to 2024, and we have an American author living in Colorado eager to reunite with Erica for her book about Stephen Stills – but with very little to do.

Crosby Stills & Nash’s debut album, 1969 Wikipedia

She read the letter addressed to Erica after it was put up for auction in 2013.

Melissa Davis told the Guildford Dragon: “My research project led me to a piece of correspondence dating from 1972 and I hope to be able to trace it back to the recipient or a family member.

“I only have her first name, Erica, and no last name. I don’t have an address. My only information is that she moved from Amsterdam to Guildford in 1973 – perhaps to establish a connection with Stills – and worked about ten miles from Elstead. I don’t know what work she would have done.

Melissa hopes there will be Guildford Dragon readers who can help her in her quest.

She added: “The letter caught my attention when it was offered for auction by Bonham’s (the auctioneers) in 2013, but it did not sell. Only the first page of the letter was available through Bonham’s and their representative was unable to provide further information. I’m guessing Erica was a fan, probably aged 18-25 in 1972, which makes her 70 today. She may have returned to the Netherlands, moved elsewhere in the UK, or may have died by now. However, it is possible – and I am hopeful – that she stayed and settled down and, if she died, that she had family in the area who recognize at least some of the history .

Letter from Stephen Stills to Erica Image Bonhams

Stephen Stills’ letter to Erica begins: “Dear Erica, I feel compelled to respond to your letter… This is largely due to compassion. »

He goes on to talk about his life, notably in these terms: “To escape, I get drunk, but not very often, or I just watch a movie, I study a piece of Bach, the Rolling Stones or Robert Johnson …I also read, consume everything palatable from science fiction to Russian intellectual history.

A footnote on the Bonhams website states that the saleswoman – Erica – became a big fan of Stephen Stills after hearing his song “Four and Twenty.” After their correspondence, she met him a few months later during his appearance in Amsterdam. After meeting again in early 1973, she moved to England and worked near Guildford. But their paths no longer crossed.

Melissa said: “The book I’m writing has to do with Stills’ years of living in the UK, including recording with Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Ringo Starr while seeking to establish a life away from home. Los Angeles music scene that was so destructive at the time. time.

“Interestingly, he wrote a song about Brookfield’s longtime gardener, “Johnny’s Garden,” which remains one of his most popular songs and made “Johnny” a personality in music circles. In fact, it is now known that Sellers used the gardener to develop his character in his 1979 film, Be there.”

If any Guildford Dragon reader can shed any light on Erica’s story and her time in the Guildford area, or on Stephen Stills when he lived in Surrey, please get in touch.