Neil Young Composer is appreciated david crosby as the “heart” of their US rock supergroup, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
The famed singer-songwriter said that Crosby was “a very supportive friend in my early life” as well as “a catalyst for many things.”
Crosby died at the age of 81 after a “prolonged illness”, his wife Jan Dance confirmed in a statement to the US outlet Diversity,
with Stephen Stills and Graham NashCrosby formed the rock group Crosby, Stills and Nash of the same name in 1968 – which Young joined a year later.
We had great times, especially in the early years. Crosby was a very supportive friend in my early life, as we pieced together big pieces of my experience. David was the originator of many things.
Neil Young
In his tribute, posted on his website on Friday, Young wrote: “David is gone, but his music lives on. 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 played together. Almost Cut My Hair, Dejavu, and so many other great songs he wrote were wonderful to jam to and stills And they gave us a blast to keep going.
“Her singing with Graham was so memorable, their duet is a highlight of many of our shows.
He continued: “We had a lot of good times, especially in the early years. Crosby was a very supportive friend in my early life, as we pieced together big pieces of our experiences. David was the catalyst for many things.
“My heart goes out to Jan and Django, his wife and son. Lots of love to you. Thank you David for your sentiment and songs, love you man. I remember the best times! Neil.
Stills and Nash had previously paid tribute to Crosby, who was described as “the glue that held us together as much as our vocals”.
The singer-songwriter rose to fame in the LA-based folk-rock group The Byrds, which he joined in 1964 with Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke.
They collaborated on chart-topping hits including a cover of Bob Dylan’s Mr. Tambourine Man, which reached number one on the US Singles Chart, and Turn! turn! turn!.
Shortly after leaving The Byrds in 1967, after a tumultuous tenure, he teamed up with Stills and Nash to form their eponymous group.
“He was without question a giant of a musician, and his melodic sensibilities were nothing short of genius. The glue that holds us together, the sun like Icarus,” Stills wrote in a statement shared with the PA news agency. moves towards.”
“I am deeply saddened by his passing and will miss him beyond measure.”
Sharing a picture of Crosby’s engraved guitar case instagramNash, a founding member of The Hollies’ band, wrote: “He leaves behind a tremendous void in this world as far as pure personality and talent goes.
“He spoke his mind, his heart and his passion through his beautiful music and left an incredible legacy. It’s the things that matter most.
The 80-year-old said his heart goes out to Crosby’s wife, son and “all the people he touched in this world”.
He was undoubtedly a prolific musician, and his melodic sensibilities were nothing short of genius. The glue that held us together as our vocals, like Icarus, soared towards the sun
Stephen Stills on David Crosby
During his time in the band, Crosby wrote Guinevere, Almost Cut My Hair, Long Time Gone, Delta and Déjà Vu – although constant conflicts saw the band decline in the 1970s.
Over the years, the band re-grouped sporadically, with Crosby and Nash recording and touring regularly.
Crosby was inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his roles in both The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash.
In a statement to US outlet Variety, his wife Jan wrote: “It is with great sadness that our dear David (Kroes) Crosby has passed away after a long illness. He is lovingly left behind by his wife and soulmate Jan and son Django was surrounded.
“Though he is no longer with us, his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us. His legacy will live on through his legendary music.
“Peace, love and harmony to all who knew David and whom he touched. We will miss him dearly. At this time, we respectfully and kindly ask for privacy as we grieve and try to cope with our deep loss. Thank you for the love and prayers.
Born in 1941, Crosby was the child of Oscar-winning cinematographer Floyd Crosby, and was drawn to acting and music at an early age.
Crosby joined forces with Becca Stevens, Michelle Willis and Michael League – known as The Lighthouse Band – in 2016 ahead of his 2018 tour in support of Crosby’s seventh solo album Here If You Listen.
A year later his documentary David Crosby: Remember My Name, produced by Cameron Crowe and in which he speaks about his own mortality, was released.