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There are a thousand delicious anecdotes about David Crosby. One goes like this: At the beginning of the 1990s, when he had brought his career back, he shot over the stairs of a fine Hamburg hotel on the Alster. He wanted to give an interview in the restaurant of the house. He was wearing sneakers, his jeans shirt hung over his pants, as always he was unavoidable. A concierge hurried to Crosby and wanted to point him out of the hotel. Crosby was not surprised, he had already experienced everything. Someone said: “This man is David Crosby, he lives here.”
The young man’s face-the showered hair, the Walross-Schnauz-looked like Mount Rushmore. On August 14, 1941, he was born in Los Angeles – as David van Cortlandt Crosby. In the annals it is noted that crosby “rebellious”, “spoiled” and “with the law came into conflict”.
Best conditions, around 1964 with Roger McGuinn and Gene Clark, which at that time performed together in clubs to found the Byrds. The band was successful with Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965) – the Byrds were the American Beatles. They quarreled, Gene Clark left the group. At the Monterey Pop Festival 1967, Crosby performed with Buffalo Springfield (with Neil Young and Stephen Stills). McGuinn and Chris Hillman threw him out of the band.
David Crosby is one of them. He teamed up with Stephen Stills when Buffalo Springfield had dissolved, and the third party Graham Nash came from the Hollies. Together they recorded “Crosby, Sills & Nash”, the manifesto of the Laurel Canyon songwriters.
Before that, Crosby had produced Joni Mitchell’s debut album with which a short love affair had. In 1970 Neil Young joined the trio, the super group was now the super super group, and they made “Deja Vu”, the super hip plate par excellence. After the live album “Four Way Street” (1971) they separated again, not forever.
David Crosby now recorded the Wunderwerk “If I Could Only Remember my name”, a free flotation in melodies and harmonious singing, which was misunderstood. But not with musicians who worshiped Crosby as California. In 1974 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young came together again and brought out “So Far”. At the tour you traveled in private planes, only Young drove on the bus. The drugs ruined everything. Neil Young said goodbye, he left an apple.
In the 1970s, Crosby made some records with Graham Nash, interrupted by a CSN album. In 1982 the trio came back together and went on a big tour with “Daylight Again” – in Germany they led the summer festivals in 1983. In 1985, Crosby was arrested, accused and convicted of the possession of drugs – he spent almost a year in prison. Neil Young promised Crosby that after successful withdrawal he would produce a plate with the old comrades. And so it was: “American Dream” was released in 1988. The admirer Phil Collins hired him for his album “But Seriously”: The voice in the background of “Another Day in Paradise” is David Crosby. Collins then produced the fabulous comeback album “Oh yes, i can” (1989).
Crosby went on tour again with Stills and Nash, was arrested again in 1994 due to the possession of drugs and illegal weapons, founded Crosby, Pevar, Raymond in 1998. The news spread that Crosby is the biological father of the two children of Melissa Etheridge and Julie Cypher. They wanted the best. In 1999 CSNY made an album, “Looking Forward”. Not so good anymore. Since 2014, Crosby has again recorded very relaxed solo slats, the sounds like a look from his luxurious log house to the eternal ocean. “For Free” (2021) remained his last record.
David Crosby’s most beautiful song is “Almost Cut My Hair”, the pure poetry of that golden time. “I Feel Like Letting My Freak Flag Fly,” the narrator thinks. Must be because of the flu for Christmas. The paranoia reinforces a police car – as when looking in the mirror.
He doesn’t cut his hair. “I’m going to get down in that Sunny Southern Weather/ and i’ll Find a Place Inside to Laugh.”
David Crosby died in Los Angeles on January 18, 2023 at the age of 81.