David Crosby Passes at 81, Rock World Mourns the Loss of Harmony Master and Rock Legend

David Crosby, one of the most influential rock musicians of the 1960s and 1970s, has died at the age of 81

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He was a founding member of two respected rock bands, the country, and folk-influenced Byrds, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (CSN/CSNY)

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Crosby was known for his intricate vocal harmonies, unorthodox guitar tunings, and incisive songwriting

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His work with both the Byrds and CSN/CSNY blended folk and rock in new ways, and their music became part of the soundtrack for the hippie era

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Personally, Crosby was the embodiment of the credo "sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll" and a 2014 Rolling Stone magazine article tagged him as "rock's unlikeliest survivor"

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He managed to alienate many of his former bandmates, for which he often expressed remorse

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He fathered six children, two as a sperm donor to rocker Melissa Etheridge's partner, and another who was placed for adoption at birth and did not meet Crosby until he was in his 30s

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He beat a series of drug charges but lost in Texas after being arrested with a drug pipe and gun at a Dallas club and went to prison in 1985

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In 2021, he sold the music and publishing rights to his entire music catalog to Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists Group for an undisclosed sum.

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