David Crosby: ‘If I Lose The Tours I Probably Will Lose My Home’
Two time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer David Crosby faces a huge financial problem if the postponement of touring due to the coronavirus lasts for too long. In a new interview with GQ, he says “Honest to God—I may lose my home. I don’t know what to do about it, except just try to roll with the punches and keep going. Truthfully, if I lose the tours, I probably will lose my home.”
As we previously reported, concert promoter Live Nation has canceled all tours through the end of April. Crosby’s next solo tour starts the following month. “Once I start in May, I’m working almost constantly until about six days before Christmas,” he says. “And if I lose it all, I’m going to be in deep s—.” His tour includes headlining shows, as well as shows where he opens for alt-country artist Jason Isbell.
How is it that a rock legend like Crosby has hit such hard times? It’s been nearly five years since he’s played with Crosby Stills & Nash (and it’s been over a decade since the last Crosby Stills Nash & Young tour; CSNY plays larger venues than CSN). He’s currently estranged from his bandmates Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young. He’s also a former member of the Byrds, a band that has been broken up for decades. And while the other surviving founding members — Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman — recently reunited for a tour, Crosby was not part of the tour. (Crosby’s relationships with former collaborators is covered in the documentary, Remember My Name). And as a solo artist, he doesn’t pull the crowds that his former bands would, even though his recent solo albums and shows have gotten great reviews (he’s put out four solo albums in the past six years).
Most artists of Crosby’s generation make their money off of touring and royalties. Crosby has written and co-written classic songs – CSN’s “Long Time Gone,” “Wooden Ships,” CSNY’s “Deja Vu,” “Almost Cut My Hair,” the Byrds’ “Eight Miles High” — but clearly they are no longer a big enough source of income for him to retire off of.
