David Crosby

He is a two-time inductee into the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame, first with The Byrds and, in May 1997, with Crosby, Stills & Nash. In his very public life, he has not only risen to the top of his profession, he also has experienced the absolute depths of his humanity as well. Singer, songwriter, activist, musician and actor, David Crosby now sees an exciting new chapter to his life story begin with the launch of a new band, CPR, and the development of a new documentary film based on his book, Stand and Be Counted.

A native Californian and son of an Academy Award-winning cinematographer, David Crosby began his musical career as a folk singer on the coffee house circuit. Although intending to become an actor when he moved from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles in 1960 at the age of 19, music won out and Crosby spent two years on the road, playing guitar and singing folk music in small clubs throughout the country.

Returning to L.A. in 1963, Crosby achieved recognition for both his songwriting and charismatic presence with The Byrds. That group, which also included Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Gene Clark and Michael Clarke, was among the first to fuse the acoustic folk sound with electric rock and roll, and the success of the Dylan-penned "Mr. Tambourine Man", "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and their own "Eight Miles High" brought both critical acclaim and financial prosperity.

This early success enabled Crosby, a lifelong lover of sailing and of all things nautical, to buy a 60-foot schooner, which he christened The Mayan. Ever since, sailing has been his refuge as well as a recurring metaphor in many of his compositions, as well as WIND ON THE WATER, the 1975 album by Crosby and Nash.

Crosby's musical career was not all smooth sailing however and, by 1968, he had left the Byrds. His first gig was serving as producer on Joni Mitchell's debut album. At the same time, he and Stephen Stills began collaborating and, that summer they invited Graham Nash, who was touring with the Hollies, to their Laurel Canyon home. When Nash added his voice to theirs on two songs they were working on, "Helplessly Hoping" and "You Don't Have To Cry", it was magic. According to Crosby, "When we heard Nash put on that third harmony, I thought I was gonna die. I thought my heart was gonna jump right through my mouth. It was about the rightest thing I ever heard." And, true to the prophetic lyrics of "Helplessly Hoping", David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash became "three together."

In 1969 the trio released their debut album, CROSBY, STILLS & NASH. Pushed by a superb collection of songs, including Crosby's "Guineverre", the album went straight to number one on the charts. Moreover, it captured the hearts and minds of an entire generation, a fact that was further established when CS&N, joined by Neil Young, played before more than 400,000 people at the Woodstock Music Festival in upstate New York.

Since then, Crosby, Stills, Nash & (occasionally) Young went on to release a total of twelve albums over the next twenty-five years. Highlights include DEJA VU (which was voted Album of the Year) and the live double album, 4 WAY STREET, by CSN&Y; and CSN (with the multi-platinum single, "Just A Song Before I Go"), a 78-track boxed set retrospective in 1991, and AFTER THE STORM (for which a matured Crosby contributed such songs as "Camera," "Street to Lean On" and "Till It Shines") by Crosby, Stills & Nash.

In addition to working with CS&N, Crosby and Nash have worked together as a duet, touring and recording several albums, including GRAHAM NASH/DAVID CROSBY in 1972, WIND ON THE WATER in 1975, WHISTLING DOWN THE WIRE in 1976, CROSBY & NASH LIVE in 1977, and THE BEST OF DAVID CROSBY & GRAHAM NASH in 1978.

In the past two and a half decades, Crosby also released his own solo albums, beginning with IF I COULD ONLY REMEMBER MY NAME, which featured guest appearances by Jerry Garcia, Grace Slick and Joni Mitchell, in 1971. In 1989, he released OH YES I CAN, followed by THOUSAND ROADS in 1993 and IT'S ALL COMING BACK TO ME NOW in 1994, which featured the radio hit, "Hero", which Crosby recorded as a duet with Phil Collins.

Amid the long record of success, Crosby has not passed through life without encountering his share of difficulties. In the 1980s, he spent time in a Texas prison for carrying a concealed weapon. In the 1990s, he nearly lost his life when his liver failed after years of alcohol and chemical abuse. However, both incidents helped Crosby clean up his lifestyle and make a commitment to living clean.

Today, Crosby has embarked on an exciting new musical venture. He has formed a band, CPR, with guitarist Jeff Pevar (who toured with Crosby & Nash) and keyboardist James Raymond. The group was formed in 1996 after Crosby and the 33-year-old Raymond met for the first time as biological father and son and discovered that they not only shared genes, they shared a deep musical bond. It was further solidified when Crosby gave Raymond a set of lyrics and he came back with a completed song ("Morrison"). Energized by the creative and artistic growth from working with his bandmates, Crosby and CPR will embark on a tour in late 1997 in support of the release of their self-titled debut album.

Aside from his music, Crosby has also made an impact as an activist. A consistent supporter of the environment, free speech and human rights, he has been involved in countless benefits throughout his career, with CS&N, with Nash and individually. It has been his work as an activist that inspired Crosby to write a book documenting the work of contemporary musician activists. Titled Stand and Be Counted, the book is currently being made into a documentary film, with Crosby selecting the subjects from among his friends and doing many of the interviews. Eventually, he sees the project evolving into a CD-ROM.

Today, when not in the studio, on tour or involved in a cause, the multi-talented David Crosby can be found in cyberspace. He became an avid net surfer as a member of The WELL (The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link) and can be accessed at croz@well.