David Crosby Dead At 81

Photo: Getty Images

David Crosby, a legendary singer, guitarist and songwriter, has died. The music legend was known for his solo work in addition to his work with The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash. He was 81.

The music legend joined the Byrds in the mid-1960s, and went on to make strides in his decades-long career. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (both inductions took place in the 1990s, for his work with The Byrds — hailed for their “lyrical insights and groundbreaking innovation” and Crosby, Stills and Nash — which “took a thoughtful, song-centric approach to music, penning folk hits with messages of change, hope and forward motion”) had a gap of more than two decades before releasing solo work again in 2014. Among his recent work is his 2021 album (For Free) and a live album in late 2022. He previously said of his 2017 project Sky Trails, “there’s complexity, intricacy and subtleties in the music. I like that stuff.” He added that, after his era with Crosby, Stills and Nash, “there was a lot of pent-up creative juice. It’s as if I’d been in a dark room and someone turned on the lights,” reads a statement on the music icon’s website. “I don’t want to take it for granted, but it’s been absolutely amazing.”

The GRAMMY Award-winning artist revealed last month that his health might prevent him from touring again. He said in an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock that his struggle with tendonitis had limited his ability to play the guitar. He said at that time: “I could probably get away with it and you'd probably like it, but it's not good enough for me.” He also said around that time that he was still busy with music, including with another Lighthouse band studio record.

Throughout his career, Crosby debuted collaborations with fellow music legends, including Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, Phil Collins, Elton John and Carole King, according to his bio. Crosby was born in 1941 in Los Angels, California, to cinematographer Floyd Crosby and Aliph Van Cortland Whitehead. He is survived by his wife, and children.


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