Crosby, Stills & Nash Musician David Crosby Dead at 81
The music community is mourning the death of a talented performer.
Crosby, Stills & Nash co-founder David Crosby has passed away, a source close to the singer confirmed to NBC News on Jan. 19. He was 81.
“It is with great sadness after a long illness, that our beloved David (Croz) Crosby has passed away,” his wife Jan Crosby said in a statement to Variety. “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.”
The singer and guitarist was surrounded by his wife and son Django, 27, at the time of his passing. Now, his family asks for privacy “as we grieve and try to deal with our profound loss.”
Just one day before his death was announced, David appeared active on social media as he voiced his support for environmental activist Greta Thunberg after she was detained at a German coal protest.
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David rose to fame in 1964 when he appeared in a folk-rock band called The Byrds. But after leaving the group four years later, the musician teamed up with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash to form Crosby, Stills & Nash, which later became Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young with the addition of Neil Young.
Their eponymous 1969 debut album became a top seller thanks to hits including “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” and “Marrakech Express.”
David recorded and toured profitably into the 2000s and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice—as a member of the Byrds in 1991 and Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1997.
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In May 2022, David said he had no plans to hit the road again partly because of his old age. “Being on a bus tour is a daunting task,” he told Best Classic Bands. “It’s very hard. It takes it out of you. I’m too old to do it anymore. I don’t have the stamina; I don’t have the strength.”
But in December 2022, David expressed a hope to perform again for audiences.
“So I played with some friends the day before yesterday and spent today singing with two really good friends and ……hmmmmmm….dare I say it ?” he wrote on Twitter Dec. 15. “I think I’m starting yet another band and going back out to play live.”
While his hopes didn’t come to fruition, David always expressed gratitude for being able to work on something that made so many people happy.
“I didn’t start doing it for money in the first place,” he told Fretboard Journal in December 2021. “I do it because I love it. I love to record, I love songs, I love making people smile. I love making people listen to music and be happy. I think music is magic, and I would do it no matter what.”
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