David Crosby is dead after dealing with serious health problems and sickness, including multiple heart attacks, diabetes, and hepatitis C, for which he had a liver transplant in 1994.
The late Crosby was a prominent personality of the free-spirited 1970s Laurel Canyon scene who helped bring folk-rock mainstream with both The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash.
No cause of death has been given for the 81-year-old.
Between 2014 and 2021, Crosby released five solo albums and toured frequently with two sets of collaborators, the Lighthouse Band (which starred Snarky Puppy bandleader Michael League) and the Sky Trails Band, with his son, James Raymond, on keyboards.
Crosby’s music career dates back to when he was a nomadic folk musician performing and showcasing his music skills on the road. He then moved on to performing at coffeehouses in Santa Barbara, Calif., but soon began traveling around the U.S., popping up in southern Florida, Chicago, and Boulder, Colo.
His style of music was that of a harmony singer, collaborating with others to create his unique music. In his 1988 autobiography,Long Time Gone; he emphasized that collaboration was basically his idea of a unique selling point – “the idea of cooperative effort to make something bigger than any one person could ever do was stuck in my head.”
The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee was born on August 14, 1941, and was a founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Crosby, full name, David Van Cortlandt Crosby, joined the Byrds in 1964 and broke into stardom with a cover of “Mr. Tambourine Man” by Bob Dylan in April 1965. He appeared on the Byrds’ first five albums and produced the original lineup’s 1973 reunion album. In 1968, he formed Crosby, Stills & Nash with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash.
Songs written or co-written by him include “Lady Friend”, “Everybody’s Been Burned”, “Why”, and “Eight Miles High” with the Byrds and “Guinnevere”, “Wooden Ships”, “Shadow Captain”, and “In My Dreams” with Crosby, Stills & Nash. He wrote “Almost Cut My Hair” and the title track “Déjà Vu” for CSNY’s 1970 album of the same name. He is known for having employed alternative guitar tunings and jazz influences.
He released a total of six solo albums, five of which hit record sales. He also formed a jazz-influenced trio with his son James Raymond and guitarist Jeff Pevar in CPR. Crosby’s work with the Byrds and CSNY has sold over 35 million albums.
According to reports, after considering David Crosby’s income and earnings, he was estimated to have a total net worth of $10 million.
David Crosby’s Family: Girlfriends, Wife, and Children
Crosby had a son named James Raymond, with Celia Crawford Ferguson, in 1962. He was placed for adoption and reunited with Crosby as an adult. Since 1997, Raymond and Crosby have continued to perform together on stage and in the studio, as a member of CPR and as part of the touring bands Crosby & Nash and Crosby, plus Stills & Nash.
Crosby had three other children: a daughter named Erika, with Jackie Guthrie, another daughter named Donovan Crosby, with his former girlfriend Debbie Donovan, and a son, by the name Django Crosby, from his wife Jan Dance.
In May 1987, Crosby married Jan Dance. He was 45 years old and she was 35 years of age then. The wedding took place at the Hollywood Church of Religious Science in Los Angeles
Crosby was also the sperm donor for Melissa Etheridge and Julie Cypher’s two children.
1 comment
I couldn’t resist commenting. Well written! http://demoo.whalessoft.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=qna&wr_id=27211