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David Crosby, Founder of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, Dead at 81 After 'Long Illness'

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Daniela Avila
·3 min read
David Crosby, Founder of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, Dead at 81 After 'Long Illness'

David Crosby, a founding member of bands The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, has died. He was 81.

"It is with great sadness after a long illness, that our beloved David (Croz) Crosby has passed away," his wife said in a statement to Variety on Thursday.

"He was lovingly surrounded by his wife and soulmate Jan and son Django. Although he is no longer here with us, his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us. His legacy will continue to live on through his legendary music."

She concluded, "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."

Pop group The Byrds (l to r): Chris Hillman; Dave Crosby; Mike Clark; Jim McGuinn; and Gene Clark.
Pop group The Byrds (l to r): Chris Hillman; Dave Crosby; Mike Clark; Jim McGuinn; and Gene Clark.

Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty The Byrds

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RELATED: David Crosby, Who Helped Melissa Etheridge Conceive, Speaks Out After Death of Her Son Beckett

Crosby founded Byrds with members Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke and set the tone for '60s folk-rock music from 1964-1967.

Then, in 1968, Crosby got together with Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield and Graham Nash of the Hollies to create Crosby, Stills & Nash. In 1997, the band was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

For more on David Crosby, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

In his personal life, Crosby grappled with addiction for several years. In 1994, he underwent liver transplant surgery. In 1982, he was arrested in Texas on drug and weapons charges — which led to five months in prison.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member David Crosby, founding member of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, performs onstage during the California Saga 2 Benefit at Ace Hotel on July 03, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member David Crosby, founding member of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, performs onstage during the California Saga 2 Benefit at Ace Hotel on July 03, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

Scott Dudelson/Getty David Crosby

In 2019, the rocker spoke to PEOPLE about his ups and downs, sharing that through everything, it was music that kept him going.

"It's the one contribution I can make," he said at the time. "See, it's dark out here now. The world is not a happy place. Music's a lifting force. Music makes things better."

Rock musician David Crosby of Crosby Stills Nash and Young performs during rehearsals on the premiere episode of the television show Music Scene on September 22, 1969 in Los Angeles, California.
Rock musician David Crosby of Crosby Stills Nash and Young performs during rehearsals on the premiere episode of the television show Music Scene on September 22, 1969 in Los Angeles, California.

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

That same year he released a documentary about his life, titled David Crosby: Remember My Name, which details his journey to stardom.

"The catharsis thing works. They taught me that in AA. You have to honestly look at your mistakes and then you can learn from it, which is the only good thing that's going to come from any mistake. Then you can set that puppy down and walk on, because that's what you need to do. You need to walk on. And you need to be looking forward when you walk on, not backwards. Otherwise you'll run into a phone pole. So I think it's had a great effect on me. It's lightening my load."

David Crosby photographed just after he had written a book about his lifetime struggle with alcohol and drugs . In January 2000, Melissa Etheridge announced that Crosby was the biological father of two children Julie Cypher gave birth to by means of artificial insemination. At the time, Etheridge and Cypher were in a relationship.
David Crosby photographed just after he had written a book about his lifetime struggle with alcohol and drugs . In January 2000, Melissa Etheridge announced that Crosby was the biological father of two children Julie Cypher gave birth to by means of artificial insemination. At the time, Etheridge and Cypher were in a relationship.

Paul Harris/Getty David Crosby and wife Jan Dance

Crosby was raised in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara and was the son of an Oscar-winning cinematographer, Floyd Crosby.

He is survived by wife Jan Dance and his children, sons Django and James and daughters Erika and Donovan. Singer Melissa Etheridge previously confirmed Crosby was the biological father of her two children — Bailey and Beckett (who died in 2020) with former partner Julie Cypher via artificial insemination.