Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Famer David Crosby Dies at 81

By the edhat staff

Legendary singer-songwriter, musician, and longtime Santa Barbara County resident David Crosby passed away Wednesday after a long illness. He was 81.

Crosby was a founding member of the Byrds in 1964 where their first number-one hit covering of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” skyrocketed in 1965. In 1968, he formed the iconic trio Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash.

After the release of CSN’s debut album, they won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist of 1969. Neil Young joined the group for live appearances including their performance at Woodstock. CSN remained active from 1976 until 2016. He also released six solo albums and formed a jazz-influenced trio with his son James Raymond.

Crosby was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: once for his work in the Byrds and again for his work with CSN. Five albums to which he contributed are included in Rolling Stone’s list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time“.

Aside from his musical accolades, Crosby was outspoken politically and described as being part of the 1960s counterculture. He identified as a pacifist and was a well-known opponent over the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

Locally, Crosby spent part of his childhood in the local area attending Crane Country Day School in Montecito, Laguna Blanca School in Santa Barbara, and Cate School in Carpinteria. He briefly studied drama at Santa Barbara City College and reportedly played shows around town before dropping out to pursue a career in music in New York.

Crosby was scheduled to perform at the Lobero Theater next month with Bruce Cockburn.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of legendary Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Famer David Crosby. He was a true friend to the Lobero and our hearts go out to his family, fans, and loved ones during this difficult time,” the Lobero Theatre stated.