Legendary US musician David Crosby dies aged 81 | David Crosby

Legendary US musician David Crosby has died aged 81, after a “lengthy sickness”.

The singer, guitarist and songwriter was a part of the unique lineup of the Byrds and appeared on their first 5 albums, together with the 1965 hit cowl of Bob Dylan’s Mr Tambourine Man.

He additionally co-founded the people rock supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash together with fellow musicians Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. They later added Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Younger to the lineup.

In an announcement to Variety, his widow Jan Dance mentioned: “It’s with nice disappointment after an extended sickness, that our beloved David (Croz) Crosby has handed away. He was lovingly surrounded by his spouse and soulmate Jan and son Django.

“Though he’s not right here with us, his humanity and sort soul will proceed to information and encourage us. His legacy will proceed to stay on by means of his legendary music. Peace, love, and concord to all who knew David and people he touched.

“We are going to miss him dearly. Right now, we respectfully and kindly ask for privateness as we grieve and attempt to cope with our profound loss. Thanks for the love and prayers.”

In a tribute shared on Twitter, Brian Wilson of the Seaside Boys wrote that he was “heartbroken” and “confused”.

The son of Oscar-winning cinematography Floyd Crosby, David Crosby pursued a profession in music after flunking faculty in Los Angeles.

Crosby joined the Byrds in 1964, however was dismissed from the band three years later. In 2019 documentary Bear in mind My Title, Byrds member Roger McGuinn described Crosby and his on-stage political rants as “unbearable”, with fellow band member Chris Hillman saying he had a superiority complicated.

In 1968, Crosby met Stephen Stills and the pair began jamming collectively. They had been quickly joined by Graham Nash to kind Crosby, Stills & Nash, promoting hundreds of thousands of copies of their first two albums: their self-titled debut in 1969, and – joined by Neil Younger – Déjà Vu the next 12 months.

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Younger disbanded in 2016 after years of rivalry and stress. In a 2021 interview with the Guardian, Crosby described Graham Nash as “undoubtedly my enemy” and Neil Younger as “probably the most self-centred, self-obsessed, egocentric particular person I do know”.

Crosby found Joni Mitchell enjoying in a Florida membership in 1967, serving to her get a report deal and producing her first album, Music to a Seagull. The pair had been romantically concerned. He lately described Mitchell as “the perfect singer-songwriter … I don’t suppose anyone comes shut”.

Crosby’s first solo album got here out in 1971, If I Might Solely Bear in mind My Title. He launched a couple of extra solo information by means of the 80s and 90s, earlier than a 20-year break and a prolific late-life interval, with 5 popping out since 2014.

His most up-to-date, For Free, was produced and co-written with James Raymond, a son Crosby didn’t know he had till Raymond was 30, after he was given up for adoption by his mom after delivery. Raymond had been a musician for 20 years earlier than he found who his father was, and tracked him down. The pair additionally launched albums with the Lighthouse Band.

“He gave me an opportunity to earn my means into his life … by making music with him,” Crosby instructed the Guardian. “Think about how I really feel about my son being that good a author. I put on it like a garland of flowers on my head. It’s simply fucking great.”

In 1983, Crosby was convicted of possession of cocaine and a loaded pistol. He fled California to Florida after being launched on bail, ultimately turning himself into police in December 1985. He served 5 months of his five-year sentence earlier than being launched on parole. This jail sentence was how he received clear. “Should you see any individual who’s doing heroin, they’re in ache,” he mentioned in 2021. “I haven’t had a tough drug close to me in 35 to 40 years. I’m very glad I received previous it.”

In the identical interview, Crosby admitted that – after surviving alcohol, cocaine and heroin addictions for a few years – he “anticipated to be useless” at 30. “My pores and skin is like tissue paper, man. It tears or bruises. It’s simply a part of being previous.”

Crosby was famously inducted into the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame twice and 5 albums to which he contributed had been included in Rolling Stone’s 500 Best Albums of All Time.