David Crosby, the influential singer-songwriter-guitarist and founding member of Rock and Rock Hall of Fame-inducted bands, The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash (and for a time, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), has died at the age of 81.
His wife released this statement to Variety magazine:
“It is with great sadness after a long illness, that our beloved David (Croz) Crosby has passed away. He was lovingly surrounded by his wife and soulmate Jan and son Django. Although he is no longer here with us, his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us.
His legacy will continue to live on through his legendary music. Peace, love, and harmony to all who knew David and those he touched. We will miss him dearly. At this time, we respectfully and kindly ask for privacy as we grieve and try to deal with our profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers.”
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David Van Cortlandt Crosby was born on August 14, 1941 in Los Angeles, the son of Academy Award-winning cinematographer Floyd Crosby and Aliph Van Cortlandt Whitehead, a salesperson at a Macy's, and was the younger brother of musician Ethan Crosby.
While at the Crane Country Day School in Montecito, CA, he starred in HMS Pinafore and other musicals and briefly studied drama at Santa Barbara City College before dropping out in favor of music full-time, recording his first solo session in 1963.
Crosby joined The Byrds in 1964 and the group soon scored a number-one hit in April 1965 with their cover of Bob Dylan’s "Mr. Tambourine Man". Crosby would appear on the Byrds' first five albums, joining Buffalo Springfield on stage at the Monterey Pop Festival, which contributed to his dismissal from the band.
He soon co-founded Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1968 with Stephen Stills (of Buffalo Springfield) and Graham Nash of the Hollies. Their debut album won them the Grammy Award for 1969’s Best New Artist with Neil Young joining the group for live appearances, and eventually on record as well. Crosby / Nash recorded three gold albums in the 1970s, and the core trio remained somewhat active from 1976 until 2016, despite bouts of in-fighting.
Five albums Crosby appeared on are included in Rolling Stone's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, (three Byrds, two CSN[Y]) and in addition to being outspoken politically, Crosby’s strong personality meant he could be combative, overly stubborn, and somewhat polarizing to his friends, family, and bandmates.
Crosby recorded and toured with added vigor in his later years, feeling a renewed creative spark and also knowing the end might be near, and was also the subject of the compelling 2019 documentary David Crosby: Remember My Name.
John C ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com |
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