Greg Reeves

Gregory Alan Reeves (born c. 1950) is an American bass guitarist best known for his performances with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY) at the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair and for playing bass on their landmark 1970 album Déjà Vu.^[1]^[2]^[3] Born in Warren, Ohio, Reeves began playing music in his early childhood, receiving his first instrument—a miniature guitar—at age six, and quickly advanced to bass. In 1968, at around age 18, he became a session musician for Motown Records, contributing bass to tracks such as The Supremes' "No Matter What Sign You Are," while working alongside Motown musicians including legendary bassist James Jamerson.^[2]^[3] In 1968, at around age 18, Reeves relocated to Los Angeles with fellow musician Rick James, forming the short-lived band Salt and Pepper before being recruited by Neil Young to join CSNY as their bassist.^[2]^[1] Reeves' tenure with CSNY was brief but impactful; he performed with the group at Woodstock in August 1969 under challenging rainy conditions, using a borrowed bass from Blood, Sweat & Tears' Jim Fielder, and provided bass lines for key Déjà Vu tracks including "Carry On," "Woodstock," and "4 + 20."^[2]^[4] However, he was abruptly dismissed from the band in April 1970 by Stephen Stills amid internal tensions, though Neil Young intervened to secure further collaborations, leading to Reeves' bass work on Young's solo album After the Gold Rush (1970), featuring songs like "Southern Man" and "Don't Let It Bring You Down."^[2]^[1] Post-CSNY, Reeves contributed to recordings by artists such as Crosby & Nash ("Immigration Man," 1972), Stevie Wonder, Nils Lofgren, and Duane Allman, while also producing projects for George Clinton.^[2] In the late 1970s, Reeves faced legal challenges, including a nine-month imprisonment in Mexico from September 1977 to April 1978 for drug smuggling charges, during which he received financial support from Neil Young.^[2]^[1] He pursued royalty claims against CSNY, filing lawsuits in 1978 and 2011 for unpaid back royalties from Déjà Vu.^[2] Later in life, Reeves earned an associate degree in Mandarin Chinese from Coastline College with a 4.0 GPA and released his debut single "Workin' Man" in 2017, marking over 47 years since his major-label breakthrough.^[2]^[5]

Early life

Upbringing in Ohio

Gregory Allen Reeves was born in Warren, Ohio, in 1949 or 1950, though the year of his birth (1949 or 1950) remains a point of dispute among biographical accounts.^[6] He grew up in a working-class family in the city, alongside his older brother Clarence "Butch" Reeves, during the post-World War II era when Warren was a hub for steel and manufacturing industries.^[4] The family resided on Wood Street, where Reeves spent much of his early childhood immersed in the local community.^[4] Reeves attended local schools and graduated from Warren Western Reserve High School in 1968, as documented in his yearbook photo from that year. His formative years were marked by an early fascination with music, which he pursued independently without formal instruction. At the age of six, while in the first grade, Reeves taught himself to play a miniature guitar using an instructional book that accompanied the instrument, marking the beginning of his self-directed musical exploration.^[2] This budding talent soon attracted attention from the music industry. By age twelve, Reeves was scouted by representatives from Motown Records and Chess Records, who recognized his potential as a young musician. However, his mother firmly refused to allow him to sign any contracts or pursue a professional path at such a young age, prioritizing his education and stability instead.^[2] This decision delayed his entry into the professional music scene but allowed him to continue honing his skills informally during his teenage years in Ohio.

Early musical development

Greg Reeves began his musical journey at a young age, teaching himself to play the guitar using a book when he was just six years old during his first grade in Warren, Ohio.^[2] By his early teenage years, he had transitioned to the bass guitar, honing his skills through self-directed practice and natural aptitude, which allowed him to develop a distinctive style rooted in intuition rather than formal instruction.^[3] His early exposure to R&B and rock music, including the burgeoning Motown sound filtering into the Midwest, profoundly shaped his playing, blending rhythmic drive with melodic flair that would characterize his later work.^[2] As a teenager, Reeves performed locally in Ohio, starting with piano and guitar at his church during nursery school and progressing to gigs in the Warren area that showcased his growing proficiency on bass.^[2] These informal appearances in community settings and small venues provided his initial platform, where he experimented with the instrument amid the vibrant local music scene influenced by the era's popular genres. At age twelve, talent scouts from Motown and Chess Records took notice of his potential during these early outings, though his mother declined their offers, insisting he complete his education first.^[3] Following his graduation from Warren Western Reserve High School in 1968, Reeves relocated to Los Angeles later that year alongside his friend Rick James, a move that positioned him amid the burgeoning West Coast music opportunities and led to his formation of the short-lived band Salt and Pepper, where he played both acoustic guitar and bass.^[2] This transition marked the end of his purely local experiences and the beginning of broader professional exposure, building directly on the foundational skills he had self-taught in Ohio.^[3]

Professional career

Motown session work

After graduating from Western Reserve High School in 1968, Greg Reeves joined Motown Records as a session bassist, working in Studios A and B in Detroit.^[3] Reeves contributed to several notable recordings during this period, including tambourine on The Temptations' psychedelic soul track "Cloud Nine," where he had originally been slated to play bass but was too nervous and instead provided percussion support at the direction of producer Norman Whitfield.^[2] His most prominent Motown bass work came on the overdub for Diana Ross & the Supremes' "No Matter What Sign You Are," the final single recorded by the group with Ross as lead vocalist before her solo career, which he later described as his most important contribution to the label's output.^[2]^[3] At Motown, Reeves operated in a high-pressure studio environment characterized by tight deadlines and innovative production techniques, collaborating alongside established session musicians known as the Funk Brothers—such as bassist James Jamerson and guitarist Dennis Coffey—and under producers like Whitfield, who pushed for experimental sounds blending R&B with rock influences.^[2] These sessions often involved uncredited contributions from young talents like Reeves, who filled in on bass and other instruments amid the label's rapid output of hits.^[3] Reeves' Motown tenure, though brief, established his reputation as a versatile R&B bassist capable of adapting to diverse styles, from soulful grooves to emerging psychedelic elements, paving the way for his transition to rock recordings later that year.^[2]^[3]

Involvement with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Greg Reeves joined Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY) as their bassist in August 1969, transitioning from his session work at Motown Records, where he had impressed the band through his technical skill and youthful energy. Recruited to replace the dismissed Bruce Palmer, Reeves was a teenager at the time, with contemporary accounts estimating his age between 15 and 19 years old.^[7]^[2] His arrival expanded the group into a six-piece lineup alongside drummer Dallas Taylor, allowing for fuller live arrangements during their early tours. Reeves debuted with CSNY at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair on August 18, 1969, performing in the band's second-ever live set, which blended acoustic folk harmonies with electric rock extensions of songs like "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" and "Wooden Ships." This high-profile appearance, witnessed by an estimated 400,000 attendees, showcased Reeves' solid bass foundation amid the festival's chaotic atmosphere, contributing to CSNY's emergence as a supergroup. The performance, later featured in the Woodstock documentary and soundtrack, highlighted the band's chemistry just weeks after forming.^[8]^[4] On CSNY's debut album Déjà Vu (released March 1970), Reeves provided bass for the majority of tracks, adding a Motown-inflected groove to the album's blend of folk-rock and country elements, evident in songs like "Helpless" and "Woodstock," helping Déjà Vu achieve commercial success with over 7 million copies sold worldwide. Reeves claimed his bass hook idea from a prior song influenced the riff for "Carry On," though he did not play bass on that track; he is credited on the album sleeve alongside Taylor, underscoring his integral role in the recording sessions at Wally Heider Studios in Los Angeles.^[2]^[9] Reeves' time with CSNY ended abruptly in April 1970 when Stephen Stills fired him during final rehearsals for the band's spring tour, citing Reeves' unpredictable bass playing and immersion in shamanistic practices, including claims of identifying as an Apache medicine man, which disrupted group cohesion. Stills reportedly stated that Reeves "freaked too much on the bass" and that no one could follow his erratic rhythms, leading to tensions exacerbated by the band's internal dynamics. Despite the dismissal, Reeves' brief tenure left a mark on CSNY's early sound and live energy.^[2]^[10]

Post-CSNY collaborations

Following his abrupt dismissal from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in early 1970, Greg Reeves quickly transitioned into freelance session work, leveraging his established connections within the rock scene. His close friendship with Neil Young endured the band's internal tensions, leading Young to invite Reeves to contribute bass to his solo album After the Gold Rush, released in September 1970 on Reprise Records. Reeves provided bass lines on several tracks, including the hit single "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and the extended rocker "Southern Man," where his groovy, melodic playing complemented Young's raw guitar tones and the album's blend of folk-rock and country influences.^[5]^[2] Reeves' collaboration with Young highlighted his adaptability as a session musician, with the album achieving gold status and critical acclaim for its intimate production. Reeves' bass work added a steady, understated pulse to the record's eclectic sessions, which were recorded piecemeal at Young's home studio and other Los Angeles facilities between January and August 1970. This partnership underscored Reeves' ongoing rapport with Young, who valued his intuitive feel despite the CSNY fallout.^[11] In 1972, Reeves reunited professionally with former CSNY bandmates David Crosby and Graham Nash on their self-titled debut album Graham Nash David Crosby, released on Atlantic Records. He played bass on multiple tracks, most notably the lead single "Immigration Man," a politically charged duet co-written by Nash about a tense encounter with U.S. immigration officials during a 1971 tour. Reeves' bass provided a driving, rhythmic foundation to the song's folk-rock arrangement, featuring Crosby's 12-string guitar and Nash's piano, and was recorded at Wally Heider Studios in Los Angeles. His contributions extended to other cuts on the album, helping shape its harmonious, introspective sound amid the duo's exploration of personal and social themes.^[12]^[2] Beyond these high-profile reunions, Reeves took on varied session gigs in the early 1970s, establishing himself as a go-to bassist for emerging rock acts. He contributed bass to John Sebastian's The Four of Us (1971, Reprise Records), providing bass on select songs and blending folk and soft rock elements in a post-Lovin' Spoonful context.^[13]^[14] These engagements, often one-off studio appearances, reflected Reeves' shift to a freelance career, allowing him to navigate the Los Angeles music ecosystem independently after the supergroup intensity. He also worked on sessions with Stevie Wonder (on drums), Nils Lofgren, and Duane Allman, and produced projects for George Clinton.^[2]

Personal life and legacy

Legal issues and disputes

In September 1977, Greg Reeves was arrested in Mexico for attempting to smuggle marijuana across the border in the company of the nephew of then-President José López Portillo. He was detained as a political prisoner and spent seven months incarcerated, from September 1977 until his release in April 1978, during which fellow musician Neil Young wired $25,000 to facilitate his freedom from the Judicial Government Police.^[2] On November 4, 1978, Reeves filed a $1 million lawsuit against Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, alleging unpaid royalties for his bass contributions to their 1970 album Déjà Vu. The suit claimed the band had misrepresented album earnings and withheld a promised production point credit, with payments ceasing after 1973; the lawsuit remained unresolved due to financial constraints. Reeves filed another lawsuit in 2011 for similar unpaid royalties, which was dropped in 2013 without settlement.^[15]^[2] Reeves has alleged that Stephen Stills incorporated his bass line—developed during an early jam session at Peter Tork's mansion into the main riff of "Carry On" from Déjà Vu—without adequate credit or compensation, prompting him to consult Rick James, who advised that royalties would follow.^[2] These incidents, compounded by his 1970 firing from the band, severely hampered Reeves' career momentum in the late 1970s, as the imprisonment interrupted his activities and the protracted royalty battles exhausted his resources, forcing him to scale back musical pursuits and explore other paths like language studies.^[2]

Later years and current activities

Following his departure from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in 1970, Greg Reeves continued his musical career as a songwriter and session musician. He co-wrote the song "I Got Your Number" with Johnny Bristol, which was first recorded by Boz Scaggs on the 1974 album Slow Dancer. The track was subsequently covered by Tom Jones on his 1975 release Memories Don't Leave Like People Do and by Johnny Bristol on his 1974 album Hang On in There Baby.^[16]^[17]^[18] In the early 1980s, Reeves relocated to the Los Angeles area, specifically Orange County, California. He has reflected on his experiences with CSNY and his ongoing work in a series of interviews conducted between 2012 and 2014 for 4WaySite, where he discussed his contributions to albums like Déjà Vu and After the Gold Rush, as well as his post-1970s endeavors. A 2018 follow-up interview with the same outlet highlighted his continued involvement in music, including the 2017 release of his debut single "Workin' Man" and collaborations with a group called Outlaws focused on dance and Top 40 styles. He also pursued non-musical interests, earning an associate degree in Mandarin Chinese from Coastline Community College with a 4.0 GPA.^[5]^[2] As of November 2025, Reeves remains professionally active in Los Angeles as a session bassist and producer, offering services through platforms like SoundBetter, where he emphasizes his over 30 years of experience on electric bass and versatility across styles including reggae, Americana, folk, retro soul, and rock. There are no reported major health issues or indications of retirement, with his profile highlighting ongoing availability for remote and in-person collaborations.^[19]