January 22nd, 2023
My Dear America:
January 18th was a sad day for Rock and Roll Fans. One of our favorite singers, as well as one of the most interesting American Rock and Roll Personalities, David Crosby is no longer among the living but we know that the music of this "Long Time Coming" Artist will be entertaining Rock and Roll Fans everywhere for a Long Long Time to come.
David Crosby's Musical Adventure has been going on since the 1950's when his brother bought him his first guitar and taught him how to play it. I first heard David Crosby's incredibly powerful and beautiful High Harmony Voice on the hit recording by the Byrds of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." The song was the first of many hits for the Byrds. Crosby has long admitted that when he was in the Byrds he was an "Asshole" and consequently was fired from the group during the Byrds Heyday. He was admittedly hard to get along with in those days but apparently what really got him fired from the Byrds was speaking out politically onstage at the Monterey Pop Festival during a Byrds Performance. At Monterey Pop he spoke out against the conclusions of the Warren Report Investigation of the Murder of President John F. Kennedy that had concluded that the accused Assassin Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. It wouldn't be the last time Crosby would get in trouble for speaking out Politically. Crosby was quoted as saying "It hurt like hell" when he was fired from the Byrds
Unfortunately for the Byrds the loss of Crosby's unique high harmony voice was next to impossible to duplicate and following Crosby's exit things didn't go particularly well for the Byrds. Despite their unique sound and success with Crosby in the mix the Byrds struggled through several more personnel changes until calling it quits. There were some attempts to regroup the Byrds with and without Crosby but despite some great recordings it seemed as though without Crosby singing his high harmony the Byrds had lost that harmony magic that had set them apart from other rock groups of their time and despite many attempts to retrieve what they had lost eventually The Byrds went their separate ways.
Crosby was certainly disappointed with the fact that he had been fired from one of the most successful Rock and Roll Bands of his day but as luck would have it he had a second chance at being in one of the most successful Rock Bands on Earth.
Legend has it that at a get together at at a party in Laurel Canyon Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and David Crosby sang together for the first time and they and everyone else at the jam session were floored by the Super Harmony Sound that these three Guitarists and Singers produced with seemingly very little effort on their part.
It took some doing to arrange for the three members of Crosby, Stills and Nash to be able to disengage from their individual recording contracts with their other groups, Stills in Buffalo Springfield, Nash in The Hollies and Crosby in The Byrds but once Ahmet Ertugan of Atlantic Records heard the trio sing together he offered them a contract immediately. It turned out to be a successful deal for everyone concerned. CSN played at Woodstock with the addition of Still's former bandmate, Neil Young and they all made some great records together.
Although Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were known for singing sensational harmony songs, their interaction with each other on the road and in the studio was far less harmonious. All Four members of the group, despite their recording and touring together, often also recorded and toured as solo performers, as well.
In addition, when Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were not touring together, Crosby and Nash solidified their long running friendship by touring with each other. Crosby and Nash made several well received albums and also toured successfully as a duo starting in 1972. Also during the 70's David Crosby was a backup singer for his friends albums including Jackson Browne and James Taylor, among others.
Although Graham Nash was the member of Crosby, Stills and Nash who ended up in a long term relationship with Singer-Songwriter, Joni Mitchell, David Crosby was the first member of CSN to date Joni Mitchell. Crosby was very impressed by Joni's songwriting talents and actually helped to produce one of Joni's most critically acclaimed albums, "Blue".
Although David Crosby had a lot of friends who saw him as easy to get along with some of those closest to him were able to see David Crosby heading on a long downward spiral. Although he admitted to smoking marijuana and doing psychedelic drugs in the early days after his longtime girlfriend Christine Hinton was killed in a car accident David became severely depressed and began to deal with his depression by becoming seriously addicted to Heroin and Cocaine. During the 80's he also got into trouble for not only using drugs but also carrying weapons. He served 9 months in a Texas Prison in 1982 for Drug and weapons charges. He also in 1985 was charged with Drunken Driving, Hit and Run and possessing a concealed pistol and was imprisoned for a year.
Following his Prison time David Crosby seemed to get his life back on track.
In 2000 Singer Melissa Ethridge revealed that David Crosby was the Sperm Donor for her two children with her partner, Julie Cypher. Unfortunately one of those children, Beckett died of a drug overdose when he was 21.
David Crosby had four other children with four separate women. One of those children had been given up for adoption by his mother. James Raymond found out that Crosby was his father and after he made efforts to meet his father David found out that his son was a successful piano player. David and James Raymond along with Guitarist, Jeff Pevar then formed their own group named CPR. James Raymond also became a touring backup musician with Crosby, Stills and Nash.
Over the years Crosby had his share of medical issues. He was a Type 2 Diabetic and had Hepatitis C which along with his excessive drinking caused him to need a liver transplant.
In recent years the successful partnership of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young had splintered largely due to the fact that in some interviews David Crosby had talked very negatively about the fact that both Graham Nash and Neil Young had abandoned and divorced their wives to pursue relationships with younger women.
Nash and Young were understandably furious with Crosby and although Crosby made numerous attempts to apologize to his bandmates they refused to accept the apologies and stated that they would never play with Crosby ever again.
Following David Crosby's death both Neil Young and Graham Nash have issued positive statements about David Crosby in recent days, as did Stephen Stills. Many other musicians have issued their regrets about Crosby's passing including Jimmy Webb, Roger Waters, Bruce Hornsby, Mike Campbell and many others.
I was lucky enough to have seen Crosby Stills and Nash, as well as Crosby Stills Nash and Young in concert several times. I also saw one David Crosby solo concert.
Each one of those concerts was filled with wonderful music and with interesting commentary by David Crosby about whatever political idea was striking his fancy at the time.
My fondest memory of all the CSN&Y Concerts I have seen was at a concert in Maryland at a gigantic auditorium. Our seats were not that great. We were seated high up behind the stage looking down at the backs of the performers throughout the concert. Whenever the loud crowd cheering died down I would scream at the top of my lungs "OHIO"
Finally, after about my fifth time screaming my request David Crosby turned around toward our section of the audience with a big grin on his face and what looked like a thumbs up sign. Then he turned around and the band tore into the song "OHIO"
It was a moment in my life that I will never forget and although David Crosby is gone the music that he made throughout his life will live forever.
David Crosby was a Real Life Walking Talking Caring Sharing Person who not only knew the History Of Rock and Roll.
He actually was The History Of Rock And Roll.
We will always Love you, David and we will never forget your Angelic Voice.
We know that you will be up there in Rock and Roll Heaven with Cass Elliott, Jerry Garcia and so many other Rock and Roll Legends and Friends.
Please know that we will never forget your High Harmony Heavenly Sound.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
