Although he was best known for his work in Crosby, Stills and Nash (etc.), David Crosby was previously also a founding member of the Byrds along with Roger McGuinn. Fans were regularly reminded of these early triumphs when Crosby performed a cover of their famous song "Eight Miles High" during his shows.
David's father Floyd Crosby had his own name in lights long before his son ever dreamed of being famous. He was an award-winning cinematographer for more than 100 movies, including the 1952 Western classic High Noon.
Crosby said that one of the best tips he ever got came from "Woodstock" author Joni Mitchell, who complimented his songwriting – then ordered him to "write your shit down!" Crosby, who primarily composed on guitar, said he learned "if you get even two words in a row that mean something, that make you feel something, you should write them down."
In the formative days of the Byrds, Crosby quickly discovered that playing bass and singing was pretty difficult. In his 1988 autobiography, he compared the twin tasks to "being able to dial two telephones at once with both hands. All credit to Paul McCartney, I can't do it." He emerged from the experience to find that he was better suited to playing rhythm guitar while vocalizing.
In 2006, David Crosby and Graham Nash lent their signature harmonies to the title track for David Gilmour's On an Island album. The pair reprised their role on tour with the Pink Floyd legend, and the collaboration can be seen on Gilmour's Live from the Royal Albert Hall concert DVD.
Although he didn't like Bob Dylan's vocals right from the start, Crosby later heard Dylan singing "Blowin' in the Wind," and other concert staples and said watching Dylan "expressing the values systems that I respected" was an eye-opener. He later regarded Dylan as "one of the major poets of our time."
Growing up, Crosby absorbed a ton of classical music thanks to his mother's record collection. He also found a love for folk music and jazz, crediting those three musical genres as his main influences. His musical travels eventually led him to discover the Everly Brothers, who provided his introductory moment to pop music, and whose harmonies would greatly affect his own famous music.
crosby stills nash and young A Proud Donor, and We're Not Talking Blood
In the late '90s, Crosby helped fellow rocker Melissa Etheridge and her then-partner Julie Cypher become parents, twice, through the process of artificial insemination. At the time of their birth, the identity of the donor was anonymous, but Etheridge later revealed in 2000 that their friend Crosby had been the benefactor.