Rumors that Stephen Stills has died are untrue. The legendary guitarist and singer is alive, his representatives say, and the social-media death notices circulating online are the latest in a steady stream of false reports that often target older public figures.
Stills, born Jan. 3, 1945, rose to fame in the 1960s with Buffalo Springfield and later as a founding member of Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Decades of records, tours, and headline moments made him one of American rock’s most recognizable figures, the player behind sharp guitar lines, close harmonies, and a string of songs that helped define an era.
In late 2007, Graham Nash revealed that Stills had been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer.
Stills underwent surgery on his 63rd birthday, and those close to him described the operation as successful; he recovered and returned to performing.
That episode remains the most widely reported major health scare in his public timeline.
In the years since, Stills has pared back the grind of constant touring. He largely stepped away from full-time road life around 2018 but has continued to appear at selective events and benefit shows, sometimes joining long-time collaborators for reunion dates.
Friends and collaborators have repeatedly emphasized that while he no longer tours like he once did, he remains musically engaged.
More recently, Stills has spoken publicly about personal changes that have improved his day-to-day life.
In interviews, he’s credited sobriety with helping him feel more like his earlier self; he has described feeling comfortable and focused after several years of abstaining from substances.
He’s also discussed working on a memoir and staying involved with music on his terms, writing, recording, and appearing when projects feel right.
The recent online reports that Stills had died prompted swift corrections from people close to him and from official representatives, who called the death notices false.
These hoaxes follow a familiar pattern: an unverified post or screenshot spreads quickly, picked up and republished before anyone checks with the artist’s camp.
Stills’s team urged fans to rely on official statements and established news outlets rather than social posts.
For fans wondering when Stills last faced serious health trouble, the timeline is clear, and that is one of the reasons fans feared the worst.
The prostate cancer diagnosis and successful surgery in late 2007/early 2008 were the last major publicly confirmed medical episode.
Since then, he has had the normal ups and downs of an octogenarian musician, but nothing has been publicly confirmed that matches the seriousness of that earlier scare.
If you follow Stills for his work, there is still plenty to return to: his songs with Buffalo Springfield, the Crosby, Stills & Nash catalog, and solo work that showcases his guitar and songwriting.
And if Stills makes a public announcement about new health developments, performances, or the memoir he’s discussed, it will come from his representatives or trusted outlets, not random social posts.
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