Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Melissa Etheridge, and Others Mourn David Crosby’s Death: ‘He Leaves A Terrifying Void’

When news came that The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash founder David Crosby had died at the age of 81, social media was flooded with messages of love and respect.

Crosby’s contemporaries shared their memories, including comrades (and sometime rivals) Graham Nash and Stephen Stills, with whom he created CSN in 1968.


“I discovered with deep and terrible sadness that my friend David Crosby has gone,” Nash said on Facebook. “I know people tend to focus on how volatile our relationship has been at times, but what has always mattered to David and me more than anything was the pure joy of the music we created together, the sound we discovered with one another, and the deep friendship we shared over all these many long years. David was courageous in both his life and his music. He leaves a huge vacuum in terms of sheer personality and talent in this planet. Through his lovely music, he expressed his mind, heart, and passion, and he leaves an unforgettable legacy. These are the most important considerations. My heart goes out to his wife, Jan, his son, Django, and everyone he has touched in this life.”

“I read a passage in this morning’s paper ascribed to composer Gustav Mahler that stopped me for a moment: ‘Death has, on placid cat’s paws, entered the room,” Stills said in a statement to Billboard. I should’ve realised something was wrong. David and I had a lot of headbutts over the years, but they were largely glancing hits that left us with numb skulls. I felt relieved to be at peace with him. He was without a doubt a musical giant, and his harmonic instincts were nothing short of brilliant. The glue that held us together while our vocals flew towards the light like Icarus. I am extremely grieved by his death and will miss him greatly.”

Melissa Etheridge, who requested Crosby to be the biological father of her children in the 1990s, also remembered him. “I am mourning the loss of David, my friend [and] Beckett and Bailey’s biological father,” Etheridge said on Instagram. “He bestowed upon me the gift of family. I shall be eternally thankful to him, Django, and Jan. His songs and legacy will continue to inspire future generations. A genuine treasure.”

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