The folk rock world has lost a true legend – David Crosby, one of the founding fathers of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The news of his passing came Thursday and it’s believed he was 81 years young.
In an exciting double whammy, Crosby was welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 with the Byrds and again in 1997 as part of the Crosby, Stills & Nash trio alongside Stephen Stills and Graham Nash.
“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,” the Crosby family said in a statement. “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”
Mr. Crosby’s status as an eternal optimist and carefree bon vivant of the age of exploration was rumored to have inspired the role of the rebellious rogue depicted by Dennis Hopper in the 1969 classic movie “Easy Rider”. His wild misadventures often caused fear of serious harm. He was just as famous for his drug offenses, armament accusations, and prison sentences as he was for his music. By the mid-1970s, he was hopelessly hooked on both cocaine and heroin.