David Crosby passed away on Thursday at the age of 81, and Neil Young wrote a tribute to him. As a part of the quartet supergroup Crosby Stills Nash and Young, the two collaborated on stage.
“David is gone, but his music lives on,” Young continued, “We had so many great times, especially in the early years, Crosby was a very supportive friend in my early life, as we bit off big pieces of our experience together. David was the catalyst of many things. My heart goes out to Jan and Django, his wife, and his son. Lots of love to you. Thanks, David for your spirit and songs, Love you, man. I remember the best times!”
Young was part of the Crosby band, “In 1969, Young joined Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, and Crosby in the trio of the already renowned folk ensemble. With songs like “Helpless,” “Teach Your Children,” and “Our House,” the iconic 1970 CSNY album Déjà Vu reached septuple-platinum and was performed at Woodstock. The group broke up later that year, although they subsequently got back together for a global tour in 1974, American Dream in 1988, and Looking Forward in 1999.”
Early in the new millennium, CSNY engaged in collaborative endeavors including the “CSNY2K Tour” in 2000 and the “Freedom of Speech Tour” in 2006, the latter of which served as their final lengthy tour. For the annual Bridge School Benefit concert in 2013, the foursome temporarily came together once more. This performance is now considered to be their final one.
For most of the previous ten years, Young and Crosby had been estranged; in November 2022, Crosby revealed via Songfacts that he and Young “don’t have a relationship” and hadn’t communicated “in two years.” Crosby claims that the disagreement started because of remarks made by the late musician in 2014 regarding Young’s current wife, Daryl Hannah. He eventually apologized, but the two’s situation did not improve after that.
