Crosby brought beautiful harmony to Byrds, CSNY

Recently, I saw an interview on YouTube with David Crosby. Crosby was talking about a band called Venice, but then broke off for a moment. "I'm a student of harmony," Crosby said in the interview. "It's my thing. I love vocal harmony." Crosby, once a member of two of the most important groups in 1960s rock, died Thursday at 81. The musician plied that craft, first with the Byrds, and later with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. I'm not sure I'd classify myself as a student of harmony, but I do love it. The Byrds and CSNY were special groups with enduring music and styles, and are a couple of my favorite bands. The blending of the vocals in each band is incredible. And I don't think in all the years of pop/rock music, there has ever been a vocalist quite like David Crosby. Crosby had a very good voice, but he never overshadowed anyone else with it. When your focus is a harmony part, you have to blend, not star. And on songs like the Byrds "Mr. Tambourine Man," and CSNY's "Helplessly Hoping," Crosby understood what the tunes needed from him. He wasn't just a student of harmony, he was a master of it. But the harmony he used so effectively in the recording studio and onstage didn't always carry over for the rest of his life. Crosby — over the decades — overcame a serious addiction, and spent nine months in a Texas prison for drug and weapons charges. He battled with bandmates, and in his later years, was estranged from many of them. Graham Nash had stated several times in recent years that Crosby, Stills and Nash (a group that also included Stephen Stills and at times, Neil Young) would never work together again. When asked why in one interview, Nash sneered, "He knows what he did." As the chill between Nash and Crosby lingered, I heard a lot of fans say they wished the band would reunite. Personally, I was indifferent. Yes, I love the band, and I'd have been excited to go see them, even with members of the group pushing 80. But do you really want to ask guys who aren't getting along to work together and travel together? These are supposed to be their golden years. The music remains, and it endures. I listened to one of his solo albums, an effort he released in July of 2021. Crosby — then about 79 — could still sing, and harmonize. He sang the chorus to a song called "River Rise" with Michael McDonald. It was a strong track and made me wonder what else Crosby was going to accomplish. It's sad there won't be any new releases, and sad that another icon from the music world is gone. But if you feel bad, I'd play some Byrds or some Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. The music has always made me feel better. It's a gift from the student of harmony.