Person · Male
David Crosby
- From
- Los Angeles, United States
- Active
- 1941–2023
- Rating
- ★ 4.65
- Releases
- 33
- contemporary folk
- folk
- singer-songwriter
About
David Van Cortlandt Crosby (August 14, 1941 – January 18, 2023) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He first found fame as a member of the Byrds, with whom he helped pioneer the genres of folk rock and psychedelia in the mid-1960s, and later as part of the supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash, which helped popularize the California sound of the 1970s. In addition to his music, Crosby was known for his outspoken personality, politics, and personal troubles: he was sometimes depicted as emblematic of the counterculture of the 1960s.
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After a short time performing in the folk music scene, Crosby co-founded the Byrds in 1964. They scored their first number-one hit in 1965 with a cover of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." Crosby appeared on the Byrds' first five albums and the original lineup's 1973 reunion album. In 1968, he formed Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. After the release of their debut album, CSN won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist of 1969. The group later occasionally included Neil Young. The core trio of CSN remained active from 1976 until 2016, and the duo of Crosby & Nash also recorded three gold albums in the 1970s. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY) reunions were held in each decade from the 1970s through the 2000s.
Crosby released eight solo albums, albeit sporadically, over the course of his career. His solo debut was 1971's If I Could Only Remember My Name. The last five of his solo albums, beginning with Croz (2014), came in the last decade of his life. Additionally, he formed a jazz-influenced trio with his son James Raymond and guitarist Jeff Pevar in CPR. He also appeared frequently on recordings by other artists, including Joni Mitchell, Jefferson Airplane, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Elton John and David Gilmour.
Crosby's combined work with the Byrds and CSNY has sold over 35 million albums. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: once for his work in the Byrds and again for his work with CSN. Five albums to which he contributed are included in Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time," three with the Byrds and two with CSN(Y).
He was also an occasional actor, appearing as a member of Captain Hook's pirate crew in Hook (1991).
Member of
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Crosby & Nash eponymous
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Crosby, Stills & Nash eponymous
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Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young eponymous
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Buffalo Springfield additional
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Crosby, Nash & Young eponymous
Discography
Albums
Singles
Live
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Wooden Ships: Live in Philadelphia April 8th 1989
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1977-08-12: United Farm Workers Benefit, Civic Auditorium, Santa Cruz, CA
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1972-03-26 - San Francisco, CA
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The Matrix, San Francisco, CA, 12-15-1970
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Live at the Capitol Theatre Apple Music
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Shadow on the Faces
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2019-08-07: Tiny Desk Concerts, "David Crosby & The Lighthouse Band"
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Silent Harmony - KFOG-FM Broadcast New Year's Eve 1986
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Live at the Matrix, December 1970
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Live at The Barns, Wolf Trap Foundation, Vienna, VA, US, Mar 25, 2014
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Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1–5) (live at the Royal Albert Hall)
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Déjà Vu
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Live
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King Biscuit Flower Hour
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It's All Coming Back to Me Now... Apple Music
Links
Listen
Official
Social
Concerts
Buy
Instrumental supporting musician
Involved with
Married
Parent
Also known as
David Van Cortlandt Crosby
Identifiers
- MusicBrainz
- e90f9815-221d-4e10-8675-e75c07988113
- ISNI
- 0000000114761378
- IPI
- 00007122432
- IPI
- 00040653112
Data from MusicBrainz, saved 11 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.