‘I heard Heaven’s overrated… cloudy’: Iconoclast David Crosby’s tongue-in-cheek parting gift to Twitter as musicians pay tribute to ‘wild man’ 60s folk star addicted to booze and cocaine who was twice arrested on weapons charges
- Musician David Crosby has died at the age of 81 following a long illness
- The singer-songwriter shared a poignant final tweet with fans before he died
- Crosby was a singer and guitarist for The Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash
Rock legend David Crosby posted a poignant final tweet for his fans just a day before he died aged 81.
Crosby tweeted: ‘I hear the place [heaven] is overrated… cloudy’, in a tongue-in-cheek message just before he passed away. The tweet saw thousands of responses from fans remembering the musician after he died following a long illness.
The rock star was renowned for his ‘wild man’ image and hard-drinking lifestyle, and he was arrested twice on weapons and drugs charges.
The Crosby, Stills and Nash singer shared a screenshot of a Google search which said ‘can we go to heaven with tattoos’, with the search result reading ‘People with tattoos will not go to heaven. People who drink alcohol will not go to heaven.
Rock legend David Crosby has died at the age of 81 after a long illness, his family have announced
‘People who eat too much pork also will not go to heaven. Short people will not go to heaven’, alongside the caption which joked: ‘The deepest circle of hell is reserved for tattooed, bacon-loving alcoholic midgets.’
Fans responded to the late singer’s final tweet, with one saying: ‘Hell of a tweet the day before you leave us Dave. RIP.’
Another said: ‘I was smiling at this yesterday. And now his voice, his humor is gone. I suppose the positive is that the world almost lost him 40 years ago.
‘And he pulled through thanks to the love of his friends, to give us another 40 years of his music. Rest In Peace, David.’
One fan said: ‘Your spot in rock heaven is waiting for you, David.
‘Say hi to John, George, Jimi, Janis, Keith, Jim, and all the others for us. We’ll miss you.’
The singer-songwriter rose to fame in LA-based folk-rock group The Byrds, who he joined in 1964 alongside Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke.
He collaborated on chart-topping hits including a cover of Bob Dylan’s Mr Tambourine Man, which leapt to number one in the US singles chart, and Turn! Turn! Turn!.
Crosby was famed for his hard-drinking lifestyle and was arrested on weapons and drugs charges
The latest: Iconic musician David Crosby has died at the age of 81, as his wife Jan Dance told Variety that he passed away after a ‘long illness’ Thursday. Pictured in 2020 in LA
Crosby was pictured with bandmates Graham Nash and Stephen Stills on the cover of the 1969 album Crosby, Stills & Nash
Fans paid tribute to the late musician, replying to his final tweet the day before he died
Shortly after leaving The Byrds in 1967, following a tumultuous tenure, he teamed up with Stills and Nash, to form their eponymous group.
‘David and I butted heads a lot over time, but they were mostly glancing blows, yet still left us numb skulls. I was happy to be at peace with him,’ wrote Stills in a statement.
‘He was without question a giant of a musician, and his harmonic sensibilities were nothing short of genius. The glue that held us together as our vocals soared, like Icarus, towards the sun.
‘I am deeply saddened at his passing and shall miss him beyond measure.’
Sharing a picture of Crosby’s engraved guitar case on Instagram, Nash, founding member of The Hollies band, wrote: ‘It is with a deep and profound sadness that I learned that my friend David Crosby has passed.
‘I know people tend to focus on how volatile our relationship has been at times, but what has always mattered to David and me more than anything was the pure joy of the music we created together, the sound we discovered with one another, and the deep friendship we shared over all these many long years.
David was fearless in life and in music. ‘He leaves behind a tremendous void as far as sheer personality and talent in this world.
‘He spoke his mind, his heart, and his passion through his beautiful music and leaves an incredible legacy. These are the things that matter most.’
The Byrds – (L-R) Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, Michael Clarke, Chris Hillman, David Crosby – were pictured in London in 1966
He was pictured in September of 1969 at the Big Sur Folk Festival in Big Sur, California
The 80-year-old added that his heart is with his wife, son and ‘all of the people he has touched in this world’.
During his time in the band Crosby wrote Guinnevere, Almost Cut My Hair, Long Time Gone, Delta and Deja Vu – however constant clashing led the band to topple in the 1970s.
Over the years, the band sporadically re-grouped, including when Crosby and Nash recorded and toured regularly.
Crosby was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice for his role in both The Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash.
In a statement to US outlet Variety, his wife Jan wrote: ‘It is with great sadness after a long illness, that our beloved David (Croz) Crosby has passed away. He was lovingly surrounded by his wife and soulmate Jan and son Django.
‘Although he is no longer here with us, his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us. His legacy will continue to live on through his legendary music.
‘Peace, love, and harmony to all who knew David and those he touched. We will miss him dearly. At this time, we respectfully and kindly ask for privacy as we grieve and try to deal with our profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers.’
Born in 1941, Crosby was the child of Oscar-winning cinematographer Floyd Crosby, and gravitated to acting and music at an early age.
Crosby joined forces with Becca Stevens, Michelle Willis and Michael League – known as The Lighthouse Band – in 2016 before their 2018 tour in support of Crosby’s seventh solo album Here If You Listen.
It was a year later that his documentary David Crosby: Remember My Name produced by Cameron Crowe in which he speaks about his own mortality was released.
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