David Crosby, Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash Co-Founder, Dies at 81

By Stevie Connor.

David Crosby, one of the most influential rock singers of the 1960s and '70s with the Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY) has died at the age of 81.

His wife Jan Dance issued a statement which said, "It is with great sadness after a long illness, that our beloved David (Croz) Crosby has passed away. His legacy will continue to live on through his legendary music,” the statement continued, “Peace, love, and harmony to all who knew David and those he touched. We will miss him dearly. At this time, we respectfully and kindly ask for privacy as we grieve and try to deal with our profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers.”

Crosby was a founding member of two immensely popular rock bands, The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, which later became Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The California native is a two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and, in recent years, had released three albums of original material.

Despite his success in the 1970s and 80s, Crosby’s personal life was marred by heavy drug use,. He was arrested in Texas in 1982 on drug and weapons charges that led to a five-month prison stay in 1986. He would later undergo liver transplant surgery after years of drug and alcohol abuse.

Crosby resumed touring in the 2000s, he is survived by his wife, Jan Dance, and his four children, Django, James Raymond, Erika, and Donovan.