Legendary US Musician David Crosby Dies Aged 81

David Crosby, a legendary US musician, passed away at age 81 after a “long illness.”

The singer, guitarist, and songwriter was a member of the Byrds’ original lineup and participated on their first five albums, which included the 1965 smash cover of Mr. Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan.

He and fellow artists Stephen Stills and Graham Nash also co-founded the folk rock supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash. Neil Young, a Canadian singer-songwriter, was later added to the schedule. 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.”

Additionally, Young praised “the soul of CSNY.” 

“David’s voice and energy were at the heart of our band. His great songs stood for what we believed in and it was always fun and exciting when we got to play together. We had so many great times, especially in the early years. Crosby was a very supportive friend in my early life, as we bit off big pieces of our experience together. David was the catalyst of many things.”

Nash expressed his deep sorrow at hearing the news in a tribute post on Instagram.

David and Stills frequently butted heads throughout the years, but they were usually glancing knocks that nonetheless left them with numb skulls, according to Stills in a statement to Billboard. He was content to live in harmony with him. He continued by stating that Crosby was without a doubt a giant among musicians and that his harmonic sense was nothing short of brilliance.

After signing on with the Byrds in 1964, David was fired from the group three years later. According to Chris Hillman and Roger McGuinn of the Byrds, Crosby had a superiority complex and his political rants on stage were “insufferable” in the 2019 documentary Remember My Name.

When Crosby and Stills first met, they began collaborating on music in 1968. Nash immediately joined them to create the trio Crosby, Stills & Nash, which went on to sell millions of copies of their first two albums: their self-titled debut in 1969 and Déjà Vu the following year (joined by Neil Young).