David Crosby, a musician and the biological father of two of Melissa Etheridge’s children, passed away on Thursday at the age of 81.
Following the announcement, Etheridge posted a vintage photo of the pair on Instagram along with a statement on her loss of the musician who had given her “the gift of the family” and her sorrow at his passing.
“I am grieving the loss of my friend and Bailey’s biological father, David. He gave me the gift of family,” Etheridge wrote. “I will forever be grateful to him, Django, and Jan. His music and legacy will inspire many generations to come. A true treasure.”
Is David Crosby the father of Melissa Etheridge?
No, David Crosby was a sperm donor, not her father. Two of Etheridge and her then-partner Julie Cypher’s children, Bailey, 25, and Beckett, who passed away at age 21 in May 2020 after battling an opiate addiction, received their sperm from Crosby.
In 1998, Etheridge and Cypher used artificial insemination to conceive Beckett. Later, it came to light that Crosby was the donor.
His wife, Jan Dance, confirmed the terrible news in a statement provided to Variety on Thursday, stating that the founding member of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash passed away following a long disease struggle.
