David Crosby: Entertainment world reacts to death of Byrds, CSN singer-songwriter

Tributes poured in from the entertainment world after the death of singer-songwriter David Crosby was announced on Thursday.

>> Read more trending news

Crosby, who helped found the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, and whose sweet harmonies helped usher in folk music during the mid-1960s, was 81.

Update 12:51 p.m. EST Jan. 20: Neil Young, who had a sometimes contentious relationship with Crosby, paid tribute to his former Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bandmate Friday on his website.

“Love you man. I remember the best times!” Young, 77, wrote on the Neil Young Archives.

“David is gone, but his music lives on. The soul of CSNY, David’s voice and energy were at the heart of our band. His great songs stood for what we believed in and it was always fun and exciting when we got to play together.”

The relationship between the two singers grew strained in 2014 when Crosby was quoted speaking negatively about Young’s girlfriend, actress Daryl Hannah, Rolling Stone reported.

Crosby later apologized, but he never fully reconciled with Young.

Young’s tribute took the high road.

“We had so many great times, especially in the early years,” Young wrote. “Crosby was a very supportive friend in my early life, as we bit off big pieces of our experience together. David was the catalyst for so many things.”

Original report: Former CSN bandmate Graham Nash led the tributes on Thursday.

“David was fearless in life and in music. He leaves behind a tremendous void as far as sheer personality and talent in this world,” Nash said in a statement. He spoke his mind, his heart, and his passion through his beautiful music and leaves an incredible legacy. These are the things that matter most.”

Stephen Stills praised Crosby in a Twitter thread shared Thursday evening. In his tweets, Stills said of Crosby that he was “happy to be at peace with him,” despite past conflicts.

“He was without a question a giant of a musician, and his harmonic sensibilities were nothing short of genius,” he wrote. “The glue that held us together as our vocals soared, like Icarus, towards the sun.”

Crosby became a sperm donor for singer Melissa Etheridge and Julie Cypher during the 1990s, Rolling Stone reported. On social media, Etheridge paid tribute to the signer, writing that Crosby “gave me the gift of family.”

In 1995, Crosby reunited with his son Raymond, who he’d given up for adoption during the 1960s, the website reported. They recorded three albums together as CPR.

Jefferson Airplane/Starship singer Grace Slick tweeted that Crosby “saved my life” by taking her to rehab 25 years ago.

“I wish I could have saved his this time,” the 83-year-old singer wrote.

Actress Christina Applegate tweeted that her friends “will howl” and then “blast” CSN to honor the memory of Crosby.

“RIP David Crosby!! We love you,” Applegate wrote.

Boy George tweeted that he saw Crosby perform with Stephen Stills and Nash in 1992 during a show in London.

“It was amazing,” the singer wrote.

Roseanne Cash, the eldest daughter of country music legend Johnny Cash, called Crosby, Stills and Nash an influential part of her musical career.

“I’m grateful David Crosby lived, and so very sad he’s gone,” Cash tweeted.

Skid Row lead singer Sebastian Bach said he loved Crosby’s music but also enjoyed his comments on Twitter.

“Thank you for the lifetime of inspiration,” Bach tweeted.

Fellow singer-songwriter Carole King noted that Crosby “left us with his words, his music and his beautiful voice.”

Crosby, who had a troubled past away from the stage, managed to keep a sense of humor about his scrapes with the law, Rolling Stone reported. After admitting he smoked marijuana, Crosby joked that “our big crime is that we eat ice cream, let’s face the truth.”

The singer also enjoyed his hippie reputation, appearing as one in the 1991 movie “Backdraft” and as a bartender in 1992′s “Thunderheart,” Rolling Stone reported. He also appeared as Chester in seven episodes of “The John Larroquette Show” in 1993, according to IMDb.com. He occasionally portrayed himself on “The Simpsons,” according to Rolling Stone.

Other tributes came from the Twitter accounts of The Beatles and The Doors.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 14

David Crosby dead: The Byrds, featuring, from left, David Crosby, Chris Hillman, Gene Clark, Michael Clarke and Jim McGuinn performed on "The Ed Sullivan Show on Dec.. 12, 1965. (Michael Ochs Archives)

©2022 Cox Media Group