In the early 1960s in Los Angeles, the obvious choice for young people with creative interests and a love of publicity was, of course, Hollywood. But not for those who have seen the Beatles’ music icons become more famous than any big screen star. One of them was David Crosby, who died yesterday at the age of 81.

One afternoon in 1964, the then 23-year-old singer and guitarist started jamming at one of the hangouts of the day with two folk artists, Roger McGinn and Gene Clark. The three would form the core of The Byrds, one of the most influential bands in the early American rock scene. In the period 1964-1967 California was, as you know, a field of feverish creativity and at the same time unbridled fun, drug use, etc. It is no coincidence that during this period the Byrds managed to release four important records, the first of which was “Mr. Tambourine Man” 1965. But two years later, they radically changed their composition, with the departure of the ingenuous Crosby. Of course, he did not stay away from the action for long. Soon he and his friend Stephen Stills, along with Graham Nash, formed the company Crosby, Stills & Nash, which was later joined by the great Neil Young. The group was active over the next decade, releasing several iconic records such as “Deja Vu” from the 1970s, and pushing the history of American psychedelia down new paths. However, Crosby was sinking into addiction. In the 60s he was the epitome of sex drugs and rock and roll, but 20 years later he had to undergo a liver transplant due to abuse. His voice, however, remained strong and flourishing; his latest album was released in 2022.