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.
Former bandmates saluted Crosby's creative talents, while acknowledging the conflicts they had endured.
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," her statement added.
Crosby was born in California on 14 August 1941, the son of Oscar-winning Hollywood cinematographer Floyd Crosby.
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 group three
years later.
Crosby,
Stills and Nash came together as a supergroup soon afterwards, and
performed at the legendary Woodstock festival in 1969.
They
were later joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young. This band,
too, was beset by in-fighting and broke up after a few years - though
has periodically reformed for concerts since.
Hits written by Crosby during his time in the band included the hippy anthems Almost Cut My Hair and Deja Vu.
He
became known for his countercultural politics and trademark moustache
as well as his musicianship. A six-decade career culminated in his final
album, For Free, released in 2021.
The
record saw him team up with one of his children, James Raymond, who had
been put up for adoption soon after birth and only became acquainted
with his father three decades later.
Off-stage, Crosby had multiple run-ins with US law enforcement, including an arrest in 1982 on drug and weapons charges.
His substance abuse had reportedly intensified after the death of a girlfriend in a car crash when he was a young man.
There
followed periods of ill health, and a liver transplant in 1994.
Crosby's reputation for a hedonistic lifestyle saw him named two decades
later as "rock's unlikeliest survivor" by Rolling Stone magazine.
Crosby
later expressed regret over his addictions and altercations with
co-stars, telling the Los Angeles Times in 2019 he was "ashamed" of some
of his past behaviours.
'A giant of a musician'
Following
the musician's death, bandmate Graham Nash expressed his "profound
sadness" despite the two men's often "volatile" relationship, adding
that Crosby left behind a "tremendous void".
Stephen
Stills agreed, writing that his late collaborator was "without question
a giant of a musician", even though they had "butted heads a lot of the
time".
Another
tribute came from Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson, who wrote on Twitter
that he was "heartbroken" at the news - as his fellow star had been 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.
The exact cause of his death was not immediately specified.
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