David Crosby – To Everything There is a Season

“To everything there is a season turn, turn, turn, and a time to every purpose under heaven. A time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to reap, a time to kill, a time to heal, a time to laugh, a time to weep. A time to build up, a time to break down, a time to dance, a time to mourn, a time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together. A time of love, a time of hate, a time of war, a time of peace, a time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing. A time to gain, a time to lose, a time to rend, a time to sew, a time for love, a time for hate, a time for peace, I swear it’s not too late.”

Sadly, the season to weep is upon us with David Crosby’s passing on January 18, 2023 at the age of 81.

He will forever be remembered as having a voice that created magic when it gloriously harmonized with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash.

In 1968, the three artists, who came from other bands—David Crosby from The Byrds, Stephen Stills from Buffalo Springfield, and Graham Nash from the Hollies—formed the folk-rock super group Crosby, Stills, and Nash (CSN). Two years later in 1970, Neil Young, who had also been with Buffalo Springfield, joined the group, and it became known as Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young (CSNY).

Here is a great retrospective segment on CBS Sunday morning.

Over the years there was much publicity about the terrible fights and acrimony the three band members felt towards David Crosby for various reasons—often something that he said.

Like most people, I wondered if the group would ever reconcile. In this 2018 clip, I was glad to see Graham Nash’s anger had softened toward David Crosby, who he said ripped the soul out of CSNY. You can feel Nash’s pain when he says that the two hadn’t spoken in two years, after speaking almost every day for forty-five years.

I wondered what would happen when Crosby—who had a liver transplant in 1994, and had been a type 2 diabetic for several decades—passed away.

Thankfully, it sounds like the rift between the three original members of the band was healing.

Graham Nash

“It is with profound sadness I learned my friend David Crosby passed away. People focus on how volatile our relationship has been, but what mattered to David and me most was the pure joy of the music we created together, the sound we discovered with one another, and the deep friendship we shared over many years.

“David was fearless in life and music. He leaves behind a tremendous void as far as sheer personality and talent in this world. He spoke his mind, his heart, and his passion through his beautiful music, and he leaves an incredible legacy. My heart is with his wife, Jan, his son, Django, and all of the people he has touched in this world.”

David Crosby and Graham Nash – 1970

Sometimes only two members of the trio played together as a duo—like in 1970 when David Crosby and Graham Nash performed in London at the BBC Concert. It’s nice to see the banter between them.

A few minutes into the video, Crosby joked that they were going to play their obscene political songs that got them thrown out of the Zambesi nation.

Stephen Stills

“David and I butted heads a lot over time, but they were mostly glancing blows, yet they still left us numb skulls. I loved the guy. He was big force in my life. My son Christopher was in his band, and they were excited about going back on the road a little. I’m happy that I was at peace with him.

“He was without question a giant of a musician, and his harmonic sensibilities were nothing short of genius. It was the glue that held us together as our vocals soared, like Icarus towards the sun. I am deeply saddened at his passing and shall miss him beyond measure.”

Stephen Stills on David Crosby – 1991

Here is a 1991 video with Stephen Stills talking about how great David Crosby was. It’s wonderful to hear him say these things. It’s normal for people to disagree or even have full blown arguments, but holding a grudge forever is not healthy. Forgiveness is powerful medicine.

The Early Days – David Crosby and the Byrds

Crosby first found fame as the co-founder of the Byrds in 1964. The band became pioneers of the folk rock genre when they began blending the Beatles’ pop style with Bob Dylan’s folk style.

Though Dylan first recorded his song, “Mr. Tambourine” in 1964, the Byrds recorded an abridged version and performed it on The Ed Sullivan Show that featured many up and coming bands. The song’s plea for peace and tolerance struck a nerve with Americans as the Vietnam War escalated. It reached #1 on the Billboard chart in December 1965. 

Twenty-six years later, in February 1990, the Byrds, including David Crosby, reunited to play “Mr. Tambourine Man” with Bob Dylan.

Crosby, Stills & Nash (& Young)

In 1968, Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) was formed. After the release of their eponymous debut album, they won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1969. In 1970, they recorded their second album, Deju Vu—their first with Neil Young as Crosby, Still, Nash & Young.

Neil Young

“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. ‘Almost Cut My Hair’ and ‘Deja Vu,’ and so many other great songs he wrote were wonderful to jam on, and Stephen {Stills} and I had a blast as he kept going on and on. His singing with Graham [Nash] was memorable, their duo spot a highlight of so many of our shows.

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

“My heart goes out to Jan and Django, his wife, and son. Lots of love to you. Thanks David for your spirit and songs, Love you, man. I remember the best times!”

Writing and Politics

As a writer, I especially enjoyed this video of David Crosby being interviewed at the Aspen Writer’s Foundation’s “Lyrically Speaking” series. Though the quality of the video isn’t the best, the content is great. Crosby talks about the the creative process of song writing, being influenced by the Beatles, his love of the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution, his disdain for George W. Bush, their Freedom of Speech tour, and much more.

NOTE: Colorado’s oldest nonprofit literary organization has been bringing readers and writers together since 1976. Through its repertoire of eight year-round programs, it’s mission is to encourage writers in their craft and readers in their appreciation of literature. Find out more at http://www.aspenwriters.org

Crosby was politically active throughout his professional career. He publicly questioned the Warren Commission’s report on the assassination of John F. Kennedy onstage during the Byrds’ appearance at the Monterey Festival in 1967. He identified as a pacifist and was a well-known opponent of the Vietnam War, though he defended the right to own guns.

He is a rare artist who speaks his mind, even if it hurts his career. In an in-depth, explicit interview with musician and writer, Jeff Slate, he said Donald Trump is an evil bastard, who’s done enormous harm.

He ripped the scab off of the racism in this country so that people have to look at it, and maybe that’s actually a bad guy causing a good thing to happen. Because it was there the whole time. There are plenty of people—not just in the South, mind you—who are racist, so it’s better that it’s out in the open so that we can try to deal with it, but that’s a good thing he did unintentionally, while being evil.”

– David Crosby

Crosby said, “They’re not going to change! You’re not going to convince them Black people are nice! They haven’t learned the essential truth that every group of people on the planet has all kinds from axe murderers to saints. My experience with Black people is a wide spectrum from Miles Davis to the guys that I was in prison with who couldn’t read a comic book and had nothing but fierce anger. From guys who killed a bunch of people for no reason simply because they were pissed off at the world to Wynton Marsalis and Odetta— who are exemplary. But these racist bastards want to feel better and bigger and richer and tougher than somebody. That’s a fucking childish mentality.”

Crosby also talked with Slate about what many consider the Republicans’ favorite subject—cutting taxes for the rich, or even better, creating loopholes that eliminate them having to pay taxes at all.

“Trump and the other corporate guys who won’t pay taxes are setting a shitty example. They’re saying, ‘Cheat if you can, man; it’s great. Everybody does it.’ Well, everybody doesn’t fucking do it. I pay my taxes because I’m a citizen, and I think they should too. But they don’t feel the need to do that. My beef with [Jeff] Bezos, and even with [Elon] Musk, whom I admire tremendously, is that just because you have really clever guys working for you, and you can beat it, doesn’t mean you should.”

Note: Being so outspoken was the beauty and sometimes the downfall of David Crosby. He was smart, and he had no filters. Because he was such an avid environmentalist, it’s natural that he admired Elon Musk, whose mission is to create a sustainable future by making cars that don’t run on dirty oil, which is killing our planet. It should be noted that in 2021, Musk paid about $11 billion in taxes, more than anyone in history, after exercising some of his Tesla stock options.

The Mayan – David Crosby’s legendary schooner

David Crosby was instinctively a sailor from the time he was a child. The sea and salt air were in his blood.

In an article that appeared in the digital yachting magazine itBoat, David said, “When I was 11, my parents enrolled me in a sailing school in Santa Barbara, California. I would ride my dinghy all over the harbor close to the big sailboats anchored there. I particularly liked this beautiful wooden schooner that was designed by John Alden, the great American yacht architect.

“In 1967, when I was kicked out of the Byrds, I borrowed $25,000 from my friend Peter Tork of The Monkees and went to Fort Lauderdale in search of a schooner. I found one that looked just like the John Alden boat I admired years ago, and I bought it.

“The 74-foot boat was called the Mayan. It was built in 1947 from Honduran teak and mahogany. I made friends with a lot of experienced sailors who wanted to sail my boat, and they taught me everything I needed to know. A year later, I decided to take the boat to San Francisco.”

The article said Crosby was always a very careful yachtsman.

“Me and cautious—that sounds ridiculous, right? But, I took it very seriously when I went out to sea. I had all kinds of spare parts with me because when you’re 1,500 miles off shore, there’s no one to call. You’re on your own.”

David said he didn’t buy the boat for parties. “Of course, after we moored, we’d go to someone’s house and eat all kinds of stuff, many of which were dangerous and caused me a lot of damage. But the boat was not meant for parties.”

Crosby, an avid scuba diver, said he bought the boat to swim. It wasn’t meant for racing, it was meant for cruising, which was heaven on earth to him.

He lived on the boat full time until 1970.He said, “The boat gives you a much deeper experience, especially on long cruises—the longest was to Hawaii, which was 3,000 miles away. I also spent weeks cruising up and down the Caribbean.

During that time, Crosby wrote many of his hits, including “Wooden Ships”, “The Lee Shore”, “Page 43,” and “Carry Me.”

“Almost all the rock and rollers have been on Mayan,” he said.

One of the people who sailed with him was the actress, singer-songwriter, producer, director, and Academy Award nominee for the 1975 film Nashville, Ronee Blakley.

“In 1970, we were headed to Panama with the Southern Cross on the horizon,” says Blakley. “The women on board didn’t take the helm or stand watch, while the men took four hour shifts. However, this one night we were in heavy seas with the music of Shostakovich blaring, and all hands were needed on deck to raise the fisherman, a sail flying off the foresail or near it.

“We were under full sail, and David asked me to take the helm. The wheel was large, and there I was twenty-five years old, 115 pounds, wearing a full-length, black and white sheath from I. Magnin.

“I held this heavy wooden boat on course, while all the men were up above me in among the sails, while we were being chased by twenty foot waves. I thought my elbows would break in half trying to hold the Mayan on course. I thought if I blow this, the guys will fall into the darkness and be lost in the water as we speed along at six knots.

“I was honored to be asked to take the helm, to be trusted with it, and I didn’t let David down, but it was frightening.

“David used to play ‘Guinevere’ when we sailed, and Graham Nash was there singing too. David was so generous with his camera. We were all welcome to pick it up and shoot it any time we wanted.

One of the many beautiful memories Ronee has is of the Mayan pulling into Oaxaca, Mexico, so they could all see the total eclipse of the sun, which only happens about every 18 months. It just so happened that while they were there, they found out CSN won a Grammy for Best New Group. How great it must have been for David Crosby and his friends to both witness a spectacular occurrence in the solar system, and celebrate the sweetness of success.

Over the many years that Crosby owned the boat, he upgraded it with the latest technology.

“I still take every opportunity to take the Mayan out with my wife Jen and our son Django.

“I’ve about ten years left at best. I have hepatitis C, diabetes and heart disease. I’m coping with them. I go to the gym three times a week, I feel strong, and I can still give my listeners pleasure.

“My dream? Another tour with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. After that, I’ll be fine. I’ll be able to do yachting, and I’ll be happy.”

The Mayan was sold in 2014 for $750,000 to someone who shares David’s passion.

Liver Transplant

Like Natalie Cole, who needed a new liver because of a drug problem, David Crosby needed one due to his prior issues with drinking, cocaine, and heroin.

Crosby quit drugs during a nine month stay in a Texas prison in 1985 for illegal possession of heroin and cocaine. Crosby said it was a shitty way to sober up. Still, in 1994, his doctor told him he had contracted hepatitis C, his liver was functioning at just 20 percent, and he was dying.

Fortunately, Crosby received his life-saving transplant a few weeks later. The speed with which he received his transplant, drew scrutiny and criticism at the time, as it highlighted the fact that many in his situation might have waited months, not weeks for the same gift.

More light needs to be focused on the need for organ donation. A single donor can save up to eight lives and can enhance the lives of over 75 people via tissue donation as well. It’s easy to become a donor. Here’s a link that tells people in each state how they can sign up to be an organ donor. One of the ways to register is at your local Department of Motor Vehicles.

When Crosby was asked about the rumor that Phil Collins played a role in helping him with the transplant, he said, “Phil Collins helped me enormously, but I won’t get into the specifics of how.”

When Crosby released his album Thousand Roads, Collins joined him on the song “Hero.” This touching 1989 music video, directed by Sean Penn, shows Crosby in jail separated from his wife and child. 

For anyone who has gotten to the bottom of this lengthy post, it seems appropriate to wrap it up with this trailer of the 2019 documentary about David Crosby’s life called Remember My Name.

We will forever remember his name.

Rest in Peace David Van Cortlandt Crosby.

You have left an extraordinary mark on the world.