David Crosby, the brash rock musician who evolved from a baby-faced harmony singer with the Byrds to a mustachioed hippie superstar and an ongoing troubadour in Crosby, Stills, Nash & (sometimes) Young, has died at 81.
While he only wrote a handful of widely known songs, the witty and ever opinionated Crosby was on the front lines of the cultural revolution of the '60s and '70s — whether triumphing with Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young on stage at Woodstock, testifying on behalf of a hirsute generation in his anthem "Almost Cut My Hair" or mourning the assassination of Robert Kennedy in "Long Time Gone."
The day before his death, Crosby tweeted a snarky exchange about the concept of heaven:
"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," his wife Jan Dance said via a statement.
"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."
He advocated for peace, but was an unrepentant loudmouth who practiced personal warfare and acknowledged that many of the musicians he worked with no longer spoke to him.
In 2020, Audacy reported that Crosby apologized to fellow Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young member Neil Young via Twitter after the band members had a falling out.
In 2000, Melissa Etheridge revealed that Crosby was the father of the two children she shared with then-partner Julie Cypher. Cypher carried the children Crosby fathered by artificial insemination, Etheridge told Rolling Stone. One son, Beckett, died in 2020.
In 2009, Crosby was inducted into the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is a two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
