David Crosby's Biggest Regrets May Surprise You

You may know him best as one of the primary singer/songwriters who made up the Byrds or as one of the established musicians who joined forces in the late 1960s to form one of rock 'n' roll's first known supergroups, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Either way, David Crosby has been a familiar name to rock fans for close to six decades. Not only because of his singing, songwriting, and guitar-playing skills but also because of the distinctive mustache he wore since his CSN&Y days — it remains a key part of this legendary musician's brand and identity.

Despite the gentle, calming nature of many of his songs with the Byrds and CSN&Y, Crosby has also been a fairly controversial individual at times, and he's shared many a hot take even in recent years. These include a 2017 tweet that seemingly suggested pro wrestling fans are illiterate (via Sports Illustrated), as well as his one-word dismissal of Eddie Van Halen's legacy just days after the guitar legend's death in October 2020, as reported by Loudwire. His oftentimes tragic past has also included a long history of drug use, as well as multiple personal tragedies, including the death of his girlfriend, Christine Hinton, in a car accident in 1969. However, there's one thing that Crosby himself mentioned as the biggest regret in his life.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

As we've established, David Crosby has played alongside several all-time great musicians. However, many of them didn't want anything more to do with him — mostly due to the caustic comments he made in the past. In the 2019 documentary "David Crosby: Remember My Name," the veteran rocker admitted that his difficult personality had estranged him from multiple ex-bandmates (via AZCentral). "I still have friends, but all the main guys I made music with won't even talk to me," Crosby further lamented. "[Roger] McGuinn, [Graham] Nash, Neil [Young], and Stephen [Stills] all really dislike me. Strongly."

For those keeping track, that's the voice behind most of the Byrds' biggest hits, as well as three-fourths of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, who remain at odds with the two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. Nash said on the documentary that Crosby can't take back some of the nasty things he said in anger, while Young vowed never to return to CSN&Y after Crosby insulted his then-girlfriend, actress Daryl Hannah, by calling her a "purely poisonous predator." According to Rolling Stone, Crosby apologized profusely to Young and Hannah (who tied the knot in 2018) on "The Howard Stern Show," though he maintained that he made those remarks because he was concerned that Young might be taken advantage of.

The way David Crosby talked on sites like Rolling Stone, he not only regretted one or two incidents of badmouthing former bandmates but also felt he left behind a legacy of burned bridges. The Daily Mail describes how Crosby's ego and drug use ruined relationships in his early career and led to him being kicked out of the Byrds in 1967. Crosby himself described much the same on NPR, where he also talked about taking responsibility for his actions, admitting the harm he caused, and the need to go back to those people he hurt because it's "one of the things you do when you go into that 12-step thing." "Look, I was crazy and I hurt you," he quotes himself, "And I'm apologizing; I'm sorry."

Speaking to interviewer Cameron Crowe (via Reason), Crosby relatedly points to substance abuse as a regret in and of itself, aside from how it fueled division between him and other musicians. He said bluntly, "I've got a huge regret about the time I wasted bein' smashed." He notably had a heroin addiction and a five-year prison sentence after running away from a rehab facility. And yet, Crosby didn't merely express regret and do so publicly — he tried to make good on the time he had. He even went on a recording spree in his latter years. "I'm afraid of dyin', and I'm close," he stated. "I'd like to have more time — a lot more."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

David Crosby also cited his former attitudes toward sex as connected to his bundle of early-career regret that included substance abuse, ego, and the treatment of those around him. Ultimate Classic Rock quotes Crosby as saying that sex was once the "main thing in life" to him. In typically blunt fashion, he said, "I was a caboose to my d*** — I followed it around. But it hasn't turned out to have been the right thing to do." 

Crosby made these statements in response to a question from a fan on "Ask Croz," a series of Rolling Stone videos that gave Crosby the chance to give off-the-cuff advice about any topic under the sun. Per Reason, these videos revealed the same ornery attitude that led others to call him things like "insufferable" and a "f****** a******." They also reveal a bit of the disarming charm that Crosby displayed for decades, which served to soften him toward the end of his life and endear him to the public. 

All in all, Crosby seemed to have learned from his past mistakes. Moreover, he demonstrated the desire to make things right. Of his former bandmates, he said (per Reason), "I think you should be able to say goodbye and tell them what they meant to you."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).