Remembering David Crosby

[Photo: Ron Elkman, Published across USA TODAY network]

Another musical milestone was reached with news of the passing of extraordinary musician, David Crosby, on January at the age of 81. Audiences know him best as the first-named part of Crosby, Stills & Nash (later Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young), but he actually entered the music scene as a founding member of the Byrds. His clean, clear vocals added a dimension to a song like no other in his time.

His youthful indifference to what was best for him in his having a long life was part of his trademark rebel self. On the other edge of his defiance was a heart and soul that went beyond the pale for others. Often at odds with himself, it was the harmony he would create in music that kept his colleagues willing to collaborate and create works that stand forever as “classics” against six decades of possibilities. He brought Joni Mitchell’s talent to light for all of us. He produced and inspired music that is on everyone’s playlist today. Look at your phone and see.

Carl Giammarese said today:

The passing of David Crosby brings tremendous sadness. I never had the opportunity to meet him, but his music was a major influence on me, starting with the Byrds. But when Crosby, Stills and Nash released their first album, I was blown away! God, those infectious songs wrapped in those beautiful harmonies, so new and refreshing. I don’t think there was a sound that I embraced that much since The Beatles! They were a major influence on Tufano and Giammarese, the duo Dennis and I began after The Buckinghams came to an end in 1970. David Crosby will be so missed, but his music will live on, burned in my soul!

Nick Fortuna agreed and added:

On behalf of The Buckinghams, our prayers are with his wife Jan and his son, Django, and all the extended family of musicians who were fortunate to have his friendship and example to follow.

Thanks to music journalist/photographer Ron Elkman for sharing his exquisite photo of David Crosby (published across the USA TODAY network) to reflect on this very special life.

Comments

In Memory of John Poulos, March 31, 1947 - March 26, 1980

Five days before his 33rd birthday, we lost John Poulos, a dear friend who was like a brother to us, as well as The Buckinghams’ drummer. Often described as the heartbeat of our band, he was known to most Buckinghams’ fans of the 60s simply as Jon-Jon. To know John was to love him. With his outgoing personality, he never met a stranger. His talent is remembered best in the style he displayed on drum fills and riffs on our hits, including “Don’t You Care,” “Hey Baby, They’re Playing Our Song,” and “Kind of a Drag.” It’s not surprising that Jon-Jon was included as one of the Top 10 drummers in Modern Drummer Magazine. Contemporary MySpace profiles of aspiring amateur and professional musicians today include the name John Poulos among their musical influences. That’s an honor both fitting and accurate for a musician who was truly one of a kind. Nick and I recall that one of John’s own musical influences was Bobby Elliot, drummer for The Hollies, whose signature beret and tossing of his he...

In Memoriam — Martin Joseph Grebb

On the first day of a new year and a new decade, friends and family of Marty Grebb read a post on his Facebook page that sparked instant concern. The composition he shared had required much thought, and in it, Marty shared his love, regard, concern, and caring for virtually every person he’d worked with professionally, loved in his lifetime, and showed how deep his feelings ran for an earlier day and time when his body and mind were not wracked in pain by the five types of cancer he said he’d battled over time. The outpouring of love and support, expressions of concern, reminders of so many who had friended him on Facebook and felt as though they’d really known him, were nothing short of amazing. Offers of “please call me” or “we are worried about you” or “hang on, brother, we are here” filled the comments section. If there were a point in time when he was wavering in his attitude about what his plan was, everyone did whatever they could yesterday, New Year’s Day, to show their supp...

Remembering Frank Tesinsky, Beloved Chicago Musician, Key to The Buckinghams' Characteristic Sound

Each time the opening notes to “Kind of a Drag” come on the air, whether it’s your car radio, your phone, or choice of streaming media, the first 23 notes you hear inform you immediately that not only are you hearing “Kind of a Drag,” but you are hearing The Buckinghams. That instant recognition, in turn, is thanks to the talent of musician Frank Tesinsky, who arranged the iconic tune for producers Dan Belloc and Carl Bonafede in a 1966 recording session in Chicago’s Chess Studios. The Buckinghams family was greatly saddened to learn of Frank’s passing on November 9. Catherine Johns, his wife of 32 years, was a beloved part of his life and part of Chicago radio as well. In February 1967 "Kind of a Drag" was #1 on the Billboard charts for two weeks, and it forever defined the sound of five young men from the northside of Chicago. Just 27 notes, right? And yet, it defined the magic of what would become known as “the horn sound” that The Buckinghams are b...

The Buckinghams in Concert

Search This Blog