new York – His last Twitter post was on Wednesday to commemorate the beauty of a Beatles song, Eleanor Rigby, heard on a rainy day so heavy it blacks out the windows. Twenty-four hours later, the death message arrived: David Crosby, the Californian guitarist and songwriter, rock’s big moustache, one of the pillars of the quintessential trio Crosby, Stills & Nash, has died at the age of 81. He had been ill for a long time, but his departure came suddenly. Eight months ago, Crosby made headlines for retiring from the stage during a live concert. “I’m too old – he said – to go further. I don’t have the strength”. However, Crosby had promised that he would not fully retire. “I’ve made a lot of records – he added – but now, at eighty, I’m going to die soon, and rightly so. That’s how things work. But I’ll try to make more music until I make it. I’ve got one more in the barrel”. He recently confided that he was ready to play live again, but things didn’t go the way he wanted. That’s the way things go, he was right.
It was his wife who announced his death, providing a written statement to Variety: “It is with great sadness that our beloved David Croz Crosby has passed away after a long illness. He was lovingly surrounded by his wife Jan and son Django”. “Even though he is no longer here with us – he added – his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us. His testimony will live on through his legendary music. Peace, love and harmony to all who knew David and those who were won by him. He will be greatly missed.”
the bands
It was in early 1964 that David Van Cortlandt Crosby, son of a Hollywood cinematographer and aspiring dramatic actor, was performing in clubs as The Jet Set, which later became The Byrds Roger McGuin and Gene Clark in initial training. The first real hit came with a revamped version of Mr. Tambourine Man Bob Dylan.
Within a few years, Crosby’s songwriting streak emerged and he left to join the band Stephen Stills, another musician left without a group. The two began a collaboration that would go on to write music history together Graham Nash and then with Neil Young. The years came from songs like Déjà vu, the live album 4 Way Street, the reunion in ’73, the compilation So Far and then Wind on the Water, the unrepeatable duo with Nash and the solo career that gave him a new consecration.
symbol of an era
Nine years ago, on January 28th, Crosby returned to his solo album Croz, which was to be followed by three more works. Despite his illness, he never stopped playing and composing. Crosby will remain the embodiment of a certain style of music that turned sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll into a hard-edged life in the ’60s, with the spectacular 1982 arrest in Texas for drug and gun possession. weakened over the years by cocaine and alcohol addiction and a liver transplant in 1994. Before and after the surgery, he was twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. First as a member of the Byrds. Then in 1997 as part of the trio Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Crosby and Nash with Occupy Wall Street protesters in 2011 (afp)