David Crosby’s contemporaries like The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson and younger musicians who were influenced by the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash co-founder paid their tributes to the “American icon” on Thursday after hearing that he died at age 81 after a long illness.
“I don’t know what to say other than I’m heartbroken to hear about David Crosby. David was an unbelievable talent – such a great singer and songwriter. And a wonderful person. I just am at a loss for words,” Wilson wrote on Twitter.
“I can’t begin to say how influential Crosby, Stills and Nash were for me. I’m grateful David Crosby lived, and so very sad he’s gone,” tweeted Roseanne Cash.
Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach tweeted, “As much as I loved his music I loved his thoughts on Twitter as well. Rest In Peace David Crosby. Thank you for the lifetime of inspiration.”
“I was just listening to CSN the other night and was always blown away by his voice and sense of harmony. Huge loss,” wrote Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith.
Musician Michael Des Barres wrote that Crosby was “a difficult and gifted man whose talent and taste was immense. His harmonious voice still echoes in Laurel Canyon. A proud man who said what he said, and felt what he felt with no apology. A brilliant songwriter, and an American icon.”
“Sometimes I pinch myself when I look back at the people I worked with who I admired as a kid,” tweeted publicist Danny Deraney. “I repped David Crosby on different occasions. He was his own man. He could be cantankerous, he could be a pussycat. That was Cros. About as real as you could get.”
