Happy 80th birthday to David Crosby, the golden-voiced folk-rock legend who co-founded The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and also has established a thriving solo career.
Among the well-known songs Crosby has penned or co-written are The Byrds’ “Eight Miles High” and “Renaissance Fair,” CSN’s “Wooden Ships,” “Guinnevere” and “Long Time Gone,” and CSNY’s “Almost Cut My Hair” and “Déjà Vu.”
The singer/songwriter also infamously struggled with drug abuse during the 1970s and ’80s, and spent nine months in jail in 1982 and ’83 after being convicted on drug and gun-possession charges. In 1994, he underwent a liver transplant, and he also has experienced various other health issues in recent years.
Crosby was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with The Byrds in 1991 and CSN in 1997.
During the 1990s and early 2000s, Crosby continued to tour and occasionally record with CSN and CSNY. Also during that period, David played and recorded with the band CPR, which also featured his son James Raymond on keyboards and guitarist Jeff Pevar.
Up until 2016, David’s main musical focus had been touring with CSN and working as a duo with Graham Nash, but a rift with Nash resulted in the trio going on indefinite hiatus and led Crosby to concentrate on solo projects.
Since 2016, David has released four solo albums. His latest, For Free, which hit stores on July 23. features major contributions from Raymond, plus collaborations with Michael McDonald and Sarah Jarosz.
In 2019, a documentary focusing on Crosby’s life called David Crosby: Remember My Name premiered. The film featured segments on David’s late-career creative resurgence and his rifts with Nash, Neil Young and Byrds frontman Roger McGuinn.
In a Twitter message posted today, Crosby revealed that he was working on songs for another new solo project.
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