David Crosby, Legendary Singer-Songwriter, Is Survived by Several Children

David Crosby, the legendary folk-rock singer, has died at age 81.

Founder of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young — both of which landed him in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the 1990s — the artist’s freak-folk sound paved the way for musicians to come.

After passing away on Jan. 19, David Crosby is survived by his wife, Jan Dance, and several children.

David Crosby had six biological children throughout his life. His first son, James Raymond, was born in 1962 when David was just 21 years old. However, James’s mother, Celia Crawford Ferguson, put him up for adoption.

Years later, the folk-rock singer reunited with his first-born son. Following in his father’s footsteps, James also became a musician and even performed with David in the group CPR (Crosby, Pevar, and Raymond).

Daughter Erika Keller Crosby was David’s second child, although little information is available regarding the details of her birth. Jackie Guthrie is Erika’s birth mother, and she has four half-siblings on her mother’s side. Three of David’s grandchildren come from Erika.

“Erika has three kids, lives in Florida, and is an incredibly smart, wonderful woman who I visit regularly because I love her dearly,” David told Fox News in 2019.

David’s third child is just as elusive as Erika (if not more). David and Debbie Donovan’s daughter, Donovan Crosby, has stayed out of the limelight — and her father’s life. “Donovan doesn’t really talk to me,” David revealed in 2019.

David’s fourth child was born nearly a decade after he married his wife, Jan Dance, in 1987. Born in 1995, Django Crosby had a close relationship with his father. In 2019, the rockstar described his son as “an absolute joy” and revealed that he was living with him.

When singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge and her former partner Julie Cypher wanted to start a family in the late 1990s, David offered to donate his sperm.

Relying on artificial insemination, Melissa conceived two children with David’s donation. She gave birth to Bailey Jean Cypher in 1997 and Beckett Cypher in 1998.

In a 2016 interview with Today, Melissa revealed that Brad Pitt was a sperm donation contender. However, she decided against it because Brad desperately wanted children of his own, and she and Julie didn’t require an additional parent.

"It's one of the reasons why David Crosby and his wife are so perfect — because they already had children," the singer said. "They were looking to do this as a gift."

Although David was never considered Beckett’s parent, he was in his life and spoke out after Beckett tragically passed away in 2020.

When Melissa learned of David’s death on Jan. 19, she took to Instagram to share her thoughts.

“I am grieving the loss of my friend, and Bailey’s and Beckett’s biological father, David,” she wrote. “He gave me the gift of family. I will forever be grateful to him, Django, and Jan. His music and legacy will inspire many generations to come. A true treasure.”