David Crosby died one year ago today, January 18, at the age of 81. Fellow folk-rock legend Graham Nash has taken to his social media sites to mark the sad occasion and pay tribute to his longtime bandmate and friend.
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“Hard to believe it’s been a year since David passed,” the 81-year-old singer/songwriter wrote. “It feels like a long time and no time at all. Today I’ll be thinking of all of the good times we shared together. The not-so-good too because it was all part of being human with each other and loving one another. I miss you, David. We all do.”
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Accompanying the message, Nash posted an archival photo he took of Crosby, a shadowy image that shows the singer/songwriter in silhouette with an “Exit” sign above him.
Fans React to Nash’s Tribute
Graham’s homage inspired a variety of fans to respond with tribute messages of their own.
One fan wrote, “[Every time] I think of him, or hear him sing, [or] see a photo with those amazing eyes and infectious grin, I smile.”
Another responded with a note that read, “I can’t think anyone who better sung that mid range harmony and he did it so effortlessly[.] [It’s] amazing [every time] I hear it.”
A third fan wrote, “As I got my coffee this morning I lost it. That’s where I was a year ago. The man with the twinkle in his eye was very special. Such wonderful music.”
About Crosby’s Death
In the years leading up to his passing, Crosby suffered from a variety of health issues, including diabetes and heart disease. Nash reported in an April 2023 interview that Crosby passed away unexpectedly in his sleep after he’d come down with a bout of COVID-19.
“He was rehearsing for a show … in Los Angeles with a full band, and after three days of rehearsals, he felt a little sick,” Nash explained. “So he went home and decided that he would take a nap, and he never woke up. But he died in his bed, and that is fantastic.”
Crosby Had Reached Out to Nash
Nash had become estranged from Crosby around 2016, which, in effect, resulted in the breakup of Crosby, Stills & Nash. However, in a February 2023 interview with AARP, Nash explained that Crosby had gotten back in touch with him and they were making plans to connect at the time of David’s death.
“[W]e were getting a little closer at the end,” he noted. “He had sent me a voicemail saying that he wanted to talk to apologize, and could we set up a time to talk. I emailed him back and said, ‘Okay, call me at eleven o’clock tomorrow your time,’ which is two o’clock on the East Coast. He never called, and then he was gone.”
Crosby’s Musical History
Crosby first came to fame as a co-founding member of the influential folk-rock band The Byrds. In 1968, he teamed up with Nash and Stephen Stills, founding members of The Hollies and Buffalo Springfield, respectively, to form Crosby, Stills & Nash. Neil Young, also formerly of Buffalo Springfield, soon joined the group to form Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Both lineups enjoyed plenty of success, recording and touring on and off for decades. Early on, Crosby and Nash developed a close friendship, and they wound up also recording a series of albums as a duo.
After CSN split, Crosby spent his final years releasing a series of well-received solo albums.
