David Crosby

The musician died of Covid-19 complications on January 18 at age 81. He rose to fame as a member of two rock bands: The Byrds and later Crosby, Stills & Nash (and later, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young). His popularity in the 1960s and 1970s made him an icon of American counterculture, with lyrics that opposed the war in Vietnam. One of his songs, Wooden Ships, was written at the height of the Vietnam War and described the consequences of an apocalyptic war. Among the lyrics are descriptions of terror and dehumanization amid war: Horror grips us as we watch you die All we can do is echo your anguished cries Stare as all human feelings die. His activism extended well beyond the peak of his musical career. He tweeted opposition to the Vietnam War as recently as 2020, stating: “More than 50k American young guys DIED for that mistake.” With The Byrds, Crosby’s biggest hits on the Billboard charts include “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” and “Mr. Tambourine Man,” a Bob Dylan cover. With Crosby, Stills & Nash, his biggest hits are “Wasted On the Way” and “Just a Song Before I Go.” He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, as a member of both of his rock bands, and he had a prolific solo career, releasing his final album in 2021.