David Van Cortlandt Crosby was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter who was born on August 14, 1941, and died on January 18, 2023. He was a founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills, and Nash, in addition to his solo career.
Crosby became a member of the Byrds in 1964. Their first number-one hit was a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” in April 1965. Crosby appeared on the first five Byrds albums and produced the band’s 1973 reunion album. In 1968, he formed Crosby, Stills, and Nash with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash.
Is Dave Crosby related to David Crosby?
Except for their surnames, David and Dave Crosby have nothing in common.
David Van Cortlandt Crosby was born in Los Angeles, California, the second son of Academy Award-winning cinematographer Floyd Crosby, who previously worked on Wall Street, and Aliph Van Cortlandt Whitehead, a Macy’s department store salesperson.
His father was a Van Rensselaer family relative, and his mother—granddaughter of Bishop of Pittsburgh Cortlandt Whitehead—was descended from the prominent Van Cortlandt family; they “regularly inhabited the New York society pages before their wedding,” according to the New York Times.
