Veteran US folk-rock star David Crosby has died aged 81, his representative has confirmed.
He helped set up two major bands in the 1960s: The Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash. He was renowned for his guitar-playing and vocal harmonies.
His career saw him achieve the rare feat of being inducted to the revered Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
Crosby’s wife told showbiz site Variety that he died “after a long illness” while surrounded by family.
“His legacy will continue to live on through his legendary music,” the statement added.
Crosby was born in California on 14 August 1941, the son of a Hollywood cinematographer.
He joined The Byrds in 1964 – a folk-rock group which scored its first hit with a cover of Bob Dylan’s Tambourine Man.
His tempestuous tenure – a period during which he also briefly dated singer Joni Mitchell – culminated in his being fired from The Byrds in 1967.
Crosby, Stills and Nash came together as a supergroup soon afterwards, and performed their first concert as a trio at the legendary Woodstock festival in 1969.
They were later joined by Canadian singer Neil Young. This band, too, was beset by in-fighting and broke up after a few years – though has periodically reformed for concerts.
Hits written by Crosby during his time in the band included the hippy anthems Almost Cut My Hair and Deja Vu.
His six-decade career culminated in a final solo album, For Free, released in 2021.
Off-stage, Crosby had multiple run-ins with US law enforcement, including an arrest in 1982 on drug and weapons charges.
He also suffered from ill health and underwent a liver transplant in 1994. Crosby’s reputation for a hedonistic lifestyle saw him named by Rolling Stone magazine in 2014 as “rock’s unlikeliest survivor”.
Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson led tributes, saying he was “heartbroken” at the news – writing on Twitter that his fellow star was an “unbelievable talent” and a “wonderful person”.
Tweets were sent from Crosby’s own account the day before his death was announced – with one stating that Eleanor Rigby was his favourite Beatles to song to play on a rainy day.
