David Crosby, Rock Legend, Dies at 81 | He Joked About ‘Cloudy’ & ‘Overrated’ Heaven a Day Before His Death

A day before he passed away, David Crosby talked about heaven on Twitter. He shared several tweets on heaven and loneliness on Twitter the day before his death, making a funny joke about heaven on January 18. Crosby's remark came in response to a screenshot of a google search for the question, "Can we go to heaven with tattoos?" that was posted by the Twitter account @stiflersmomsays.

The top result of the Google search was shown in the picture, which had the following text, "People with tattoos will not go to heaven. People who drink alcohol will not go to heaven. People who eat too much pork will also not go to heaven. Short people will not go to heaven." Crosby's remark sent the internet into splits. He tweeted, "I heard the place is overrated….cloudy."

The musician, who was a founding member of the bands Crosby, Stills & Nash, and The Byrds, passed away on January 19 at the age of 81. Crosby's wife, Jan Dance, confirmed his death on Thursday in a statement to Variety. The emotional statement read, "He was lovingly surrounded by his wife and soulmate Jan and son Django. Although he is no longer here with us, his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us. His legacy will continue to live on through his legendary music."

The statement further thanks everyone for the love and prayers people have shared, adding, "Peace, love, and harmony to all who knew David and those he touched. We will miss him dearly. At this time, we respectfully and kindly ask for privacy as we grieve and try to deal with our profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers."

The two-time Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer struggled with addiction, prison, and heartbreak. As if that weren't enough, he has recently experienced a long list of medical issues, including diabetes, multiple heart attacks, hepatitis C, liver failure, and liver disease. The four decades spent in music's most infamous powder keg, the multi-platinum band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, taught him one thing that matters to him: music. “It’s the one contribution I can make,” he told PEOPLE at the time. “See, it’s dark out here now. The world is not a happy place. Music’s a lifting force. Music makes things better.”

Two years before he passed, Crosby was part of a biographical documentary on him titled Remember My Name. Despite Crosby's denials, the documentary comes off as a very sincere apology to his estranged musical brethren. The outcome is memorable and even slightly startling. It's uncommon to see a significant cultural figure so openly own their errors. “I know what I am and I know that I’m difficult to deal with, and I know that I have certainly offended many people,” he says, adding that he feels that “I get in trouble, but I’m happy about myself now.”

References:

https://variety.com/2023/music/news/david-crosby-dead-dies-byrds-crosby-stills-nash-1235495467/

https://twitter.com/thedavidcrosby/status/1615681363600080899

https://people.com/music/david-crosby-remember-my-name-interview/

Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Mike Windle