The two musicians enjoyed group success with this folk-rock quartet. A few hours after the announcement of David Croby’s death, Neil Young salutes his memory despite past quarrels.
Singer Neil Young paid tribute to late folk-rock pioneer David Crosby on Friday, putting their famous feuds aside to salute who was the “soul” of the band they worked in, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
“Soul of CSNY, David’s voice and energy were at the heart of our band. His great songs represented what we believed in and it was always fun and exciting when we could play together,” the singer-songwriter wrote. 77-year-old American-Canadian on his website.
Thursday, the announcement of the death of its four-year-old eldest, David Crosby, considered a pioneer of folk-rock, has prompted many tributes in the world of music.
Turbulent history
Feuds between Crosby and Neil Young, as well as with Graham Nash and at times Stephen Stills, were notorious and have been cited as the cause of the supergroup’s multiple breakups.
Their last appearance as a quartet was in 2013 at a charity concert. Young and Crosby had then fallen out again, in part due to disparaging comments from Crosby about Neil Young’s girlfriend. David Crosby had tried to apologize afterwards, in vain.
“I think CSNY was a really, really good thing. I’m really proud of it. And I think it’s over,” Crosby told AFP in 2021.
“So many good times”
“We had so many good times, especially the first years (…) Thank you David for your spirit and your songs, I love you. I remember the best times”, insisted on his side Neil Young Friday.
Thursday, Graham Nash had also put the arguments aside to pay tribute to the singer: “David was afraid of nothing, in life and in music”. “He leaves a huge void in this world, as a personality and as a talent,” he added.
