David Crosby Biography, Net Worth, Death

Singer-songwriter-guitarist David Crosby, a founding member of two popular and enormously influential ’60s rock units, the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash (later Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), has died.

He was 81 years old.

The death came as a surprise to those who followed his very active Twitter account, which he’d kept tweeting on as recently as Wednesday.

Eight months ago, Crosby made headlines when he said he was done performing live, declaring, “I’m too old to do it anymore. I don’t have the stamina; I don’t have the strength.”

David Crosby Biography

David Van Cortlandt Crosby (August 14, 1941) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Crosby was born in Los Angeles, California, the second son of Academy Award-winning cinematographer Floyd Crosby, who formerly worked on Wall Street, and Aliph Van Cortlandt Whitehead, a salesperson at Macy’s department store.

His father was a relative of the Van Rensselaer family, and his mother—granddaughter of Bishop of Pittsburgh Cortlandt Whitehead—descended from the prominent Van Cortlandt family.

Crosby was the younger brother of musician Ethan Crosby. Growing up in California, he attended several schools, including the University Elementary School in Los Angeles, the Crane Country Day School in Montecito, and Laguna Blanca School in Santa Barbara for the rest of his elementary school and junior high.

David briefly studied drama at Santa Barbara City College before dropping out to pursue a career in music.

He performed with singer Terry Callier in Chicago and Greenwich Village, but the duo failed to obtain a recording contract.

He also performed with Les Baxter’s Balladeers around 1962. With the help of producer Jim Dickson, Crosby recorded his first solo session in 1963.

In early 1964, he formed the Jet Set with Jim McGuinn and Gene Clark, and with the additions of bassist Chris Hillman and drummer Michael Clarke, the group was rechristened the Byrds.

However, creative differences plagued the group throughout its career, and in 1967 Crosby left the Byrds in the wake of their appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival.

After producing Joni Mitchell’s 1968 debut LP, Crosby cut a handful of solo recordings and began jamming with ex-Buffalo Springfield singer/guitarist Stephen Stills. In time, the duo was joined by ex-Hollies member Graham Nash.

Crosby, Stills & Nash’s 1969 debut LP proved a pop landmark, launching all three members to greater fame than they’d experienced in any of their previous projects.

The addition of Stills’ former Buffalo Springfield bandmate Neil Young expanded the group to a four-piece, and in August of 1969 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY) made just their second live appearance to date at the Woodstock Festival.

The group won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1969.

In 1971, Crosby released his first solo album, If I Could Only Remember My Name, featuring contributions by Nash, Young, Joni Mitchell, and members of Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, and Santana.

In 1996, Crosby formed CPR or Crosby, Pevar & Raymond with session guitarist Jeff Pevar, and pianist James Raymond, Crosby’s son. The group released two studio albums and two live albums before disbanding in 2004.

Crosby was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, as a member of the Byrds (1991) and Crosby, Stills & Nash (1997).

Death

David Crosby passed away at the age of 81 on January 19th 2023.

His wife, Jan Dance, told Variety: “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. Although he is no longer here with us, his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us.”

She added: “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.”

Health

Crosby’s health was a matter of public discourse in his later years as he battled numerous challenges,

In 1994, he received a highly publicized liver transplant which was paid for by Phil Collins. His liver problems stemmed from a long run with hepatitis C.

Crosby suffered from type 2 diabetes and was treated with insulin to manage the disease. At a concert in October 2008, Crosby, looking much thinner than in recent years, announced to the audience that he had recently shed 55 pounds (25 kg) as a result of his struggles with the disease.

In February 2014, at the urging of his doctor, Crosby postponed the final dates of his solo tour in order to undergo a cardiac catheterization and angiogram, based on the results of a routine cardiac stress test.

He died after a long illness in 2023.

Wife

Crosby married Jan Dance in May 1987 at the Hollywood Church of Religious Science in Los Angeles. He was 45 at the time with Dance then 35.

Children

Crosby had a son with Celia Crawford Ferguson, James Raymond, in 1962, who was placed for adoption and reunited with Crosby as an adult.

He had three other children: a daughter, Erika, with Jackie Guthrie, a daughter, Donovan Crosby, with former girlfriend Debbie Donovan, and a son, Django Crosby, who was conceived with wife Jan Dance after extensive fertility treatments while Crosby’s liver was failing.