Stephen Stills and his French wife (Véronique Sanson)

His French wife tells her relations with him in French TV (April 2005).

Part 1:

Veronique Sanson:We [she and Michel Berger. She lived with this French artist] hadn’t bought wedding rings but a beautiful engagement ring. But the call of the sea was very stronger to myself. One evening, Stephen Stills with Crosby & Nash played in Olympia in Paris. I didn’t want to go out this evening, but Michel convinced me saying to me that they are great artists. In these days, three clans existed: The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and CSNY. The show was great. Two days later, I went at the Warner office in Paris and Stephen Stills was there too. We fell in love together! And we went out together in the street. Stephen phoned to me all days until I accept the marriage. I couldn’t imagine leaving Michel.

Part 2:

Veronique Sanson: It was horrible and it was pretty cowardly act: I left Michel saying to Michel that I went out buying cigarettes... Usually, we say that for a joke but here it is reality. I went at my parents' home to take my passport, I travelled by plane going to New York, and I never came back. It was a stupidity but nothing in the world would have been detained me to do that. Stephen asks for my hand in marriage to my father who knew his reputation about cocaine and alcohol and he said to him: "You marry my daughter, it’s necessary to stop all that!» Stephen answered: "I has been like this even since 18 years and I will never change. You know, I sold 16 million LPs." My father had an air of consternation, even so he came to the marriage, and he was pleased for me, even if he was anxious. I had married by courtesy. It was in England. I was undecided, thinking about drug and alcohol. How can I remain with this man? The mayor, who was a woman, was the double of Groucho Marx! My sister says to me in the restroom: "My car is there, we’re going out through the window and we’ll go away from here!" I hesitated but I thought that I would divorce later because there were The Beatles, The Who, and two families. And I didn’t want to distress the two families. (Date : March 14, 1973)

Part 3 :

[Archives: Michel Berger sings that he is with friends however he feels alone, that some words of love miss him.]

Veronique Sanson: I would like to come back towards Michel. But I thought it was impossible. It’s like if I had put a knife in the Michel’s heart. It’s too late; to take off the knife wouldn’t change anything to the injury. Then, I continued my road and my musical way.

[Archives: She sings: I made a change about country / (...) / In order that I have a boundless smile, / Some strange medicines are given to me / Which go from orange juice to cocaine. / In big cities, nothing changed].

Veronique Sanson: My life was very peaceful with Michel. And with Stephen, it was an amusing hurricane. I knew anything about alcohol and drug. I was lost in this new world but I learned very quickly. In order to do what everyone did around me. That's an immeasurable silly thing. But I did it.

Part 4:

Veronique Sanson: In the Seventies, there was a great tolerance and freedom movement that crumbled away. At the time, it was a new thing for me and we had been taken as insane people. I didn’t play flute as we can see on the TV screen. But there was a complete freedom... the flower in hair. Love, no war [My French note: “Make love, no war” is the French slogan]. That remains a very beautiful message. However, the police was often after these people who didn’t do anything except smoking marijuana which is less dangerous than cigarette. Each one of the CS&N band had his own personality. Stephen was very Latin whereas the two others were in American and English music. Stephen went through in all kind of music to find new melodies.

[Archives: Stephen Stills: The rock' roll changed and, with C&N, we will continue the change.]

Veronique Sanson: Stephen is really the best guitar hero in the world as Clapton. I always fall beneath his spell.

Part 5:

Veronique Sanson:What a great music! [Archives: Stephen with Manassas]. Stephen is like a painter palette. He could be fearsome and he also could be very thoughtful. And so nobody could touch a hair of his wife. He was then very protector. The manner in which he released his albums impressed me. I was delighted for him that he’s a star. My frustration was that Stephen never said to his friends: "Listen to the beautiful melodies that my wife composes".

[Archives: The TV reporter: Did you play on stage in USA?

VS: No because I don’t have a lot of songs in English language and I don’t sing in French because people don’t understand French.

SS: She is softy, coward.]

Veronique Sanson: I came back in France every two months to do musical tours.

[Archives: The TV reporter: Each evening: a new packed theatre, two shows, and four musical hours. The Veronique Sanson’s husband, Stephen Stills, played with her on stage.]

Veronique Sanson: I needed to release albums to deliver messages. I had written many songs. I said to Stephen: "I don’t know who are the musicians with whom I could play because I don’t have any more Michel Berger." And there, Stephen was marvellous, he answered me: "You can take mine". The Manassas band!!!

Part 6:

Veronique Sanson: Christopher came by chance (date: April 19, 1974). I was glad because he was splendid. But it was terrible because I had in my head the idea to go away from there. I was afraid of physical violence from Stephen. I didn’t find great the idea to flee on the quiet with my son. I was glad to see that I could be mother but I saw also the big clouds coming. I was fed up with this drug and alcohol world. Stephen said: "Goodbye, see you soon", and he came back three days later and in a terrible state. It was very hard to bear people who are never in their normal state. He never took care of his son even if he were proud of him. I said myself that I couldn’t live in this country with this man and I asked for the divorce and the hell began.

[Archives: Veronique sings: All is died, all is broken / All wears us out and all is sending us to sleep / The life is not like that. / It must to be differently, / Do you understand? / (...) / America won’t be any more.]

Part 7:

Veronique Sanson: Everything went badly. I cancelled a tour in Canada because Stephen gave me one head-butt, and I had 18 stitches to my forehead. I was fed up. I was fed up. I was fed up. The slope continued until I leave the home going on foot with my bag, and five dollars on me. Stephen looked for me everywhere. He wanted to kill me with a psychiatrist. One day, I was called before the sheriff. As in movies, the sheriff took some small packages with Stephen's weapons. In fact, the police arrested a psychoanalyst walking in the L.A. streets going to my home with a very big hunting knife and a gun and surgical gloves. The guy was only at 400 meters from my home. My guardian angel has protected me, because he had come to kill me! Sometimes, Stephen wanted to break my hands so that I can’t play any more with piano. Stephen had raving madness. Stephen was violent only when he was under the influence of the products that he consumed. Those make some memories but at the time it was terrifying because Stephen was very influential, he knew all the police officers. And that was terrifying more than to take a snap or punches, or a kick in the belly, which are also some unpleasant things. My main objective was to remain in life, to remain in the USA and to keep my son. It was long but I won. I also spent painful moments. I remember I asked about how much does it cost to kill Stephen. Well, well, it's not very expensive.

/ (...) /

Now, times are changing. Stephen and myself will be grandparents soon.

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