Canada’s Neil Young on Friday shared a tribute to David Crosby, who died on Thursday at 81.
“David is gone, but his music lives on,” he wrote in a message published on his website.
Young joined Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1969 and they recorded and performed together off-and-on until 2016.
"The soul of CSNY, David’s voice and energy were at the heart of our band. His great songs stood for what we believed in and it was always fun and exciting when we got to play them together.”
Young said songs Crosby penned like “Almost Cut My Hair” and “Deja Vu” were “wonderful to jam on and [Stephen] Stills and I had a blast as he kept us going on and on. His singing with Graham was so memorable, their duo spot a highlight of so many of our shows.”
Young continued: “We had so many great times, especially in the early years. Crosby was a very supportive friend in my early life, as we bit off big pieces of our experience together. David was the catalyst of many things.”
The singer concluded by thanking Crosby for his “spirit and songs.” He added: “Love you man! I remember the best times!”
In his latter years, Crosby made no secret of his feelings for Young.
In a 2021 interview with The Guardian, Crosby called Young “the most self-centred, self-obsessed, selfish person I know. He only thinks about Neil, period. That’s the only person he’ll consider. Ever!”
MORE: David Crosby Dies At 81
The two other surviving members of CSNY posted tributes to Crosby late Thursday.
Graham Nash – whom Crosby described in the The Guardian interview as “a guy that is definitely my enemy” – wrote on Instagram: "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."
Stephen Stills also acknowledged his relationship with Crosby was less than perfect. “David and I butted heads a lot over time, but they were mostly glancing blows, yet still left us [with] numb skulls. I was happy to be at peace with him. He was without question a giant of a musician, and his harmonic sensibilities were nothing short of genius," he wrote in a statement. "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.”
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, pictured in 1974. Getty Images