American rocker David Crosby, co-founder of the Byrds before joining the supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, has died at the age of 81, American specialist media said on Thursday.
The newspaper Variety was the first to report on the death of the musician who was so influential for rock and folk in the 1960s-70s, citing a press release by his wife Jan Dance, which spoke of a “long illness”.
Rolling Stone magazine confirmed the news based on a source close to the artist.
According to his wife’s statement, quoted by Variety, Crosby died surrounded by his wife and son Django, but the exact date is not known.
“Although he is no longer with us, his humanity and good spirit will continue to guide and inspire us. His legacy will live on through his legendary music.
As Variety noted, the announcement of David Crosby’s death comes as a surprise given that his Twitter account was still active as of Wednesday.
Crosby was born on August 14, 1941 in California to prominent New York families, with a homemaker and a cinema father, crowned with an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
Before his 25th birthday, he was one of the founders of The Byrds, a group that mixes English rock with traditional American folk.
“I don’t know what else to say, I’m heartbroken,” Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson wrote on Twitter.