David Crosby is the Forrest Gump of rock n' roll.
I'm not saying Mr. Crosby isn't very bright, nor that he's very fast or adept at ping pong. But just as you can't escape Forrest Gump when going through 20th century American history -- there Forrest is shaking JFK"s hand, now he's stopping the Watergate break-in, is he teaching Elvis how to dance?! -- neither can you escape David Crosby when looking at the annals of rock 'n' roll history.
To anticipate David Crosby's Friday night performance as part of Crosby, Stills and Nash, let's step into the way, way back machine and see all the places David Crosby pops up.
Southern California - 1952
David Crosby's only eleven years old, but his father Floyd Crosby is serving as cinematographer for the classic Gary Cooper western, High Noon. When David wasn't even a twinkle in his eye, Floyd won an Academy Award for best cinematography for the movie Tabu.
Greenwich Village - 1963
David Crosby learns how to be a folk singer from his mentor Fred Neil along with another whippersnapper called Bob Dylan.
Los Angeles - 1965
David Crosby's jangly 12-string guitar contributes to the Byrds reaching the top of the charts with a cover of the Bob Dylan song "Mr. Tambourine Man." The music press called the song "folk rock" and thus a new musical genre was born.
Monterey Pop Festival - 1967
Between songs, David Crosby tells the audience the benefits of giving LSD to all the statesmen and politicians in the world. Not much later, he is sacked from the Byrds eventually to be replaced by Gram Parsons who made the Byrds pioneers in country rock.
Mama Cass' House - 1968
At a soiree at casa Cass, David Crosby sings with Stephen Stills, of Buffalo Springfield, and Graham Nash of the Hollies. A new supergroup is formed: Crosby, Stills and Nash (and sometimes Young).
Hollywood - 1969
The movie Easy Rider comes out turning movie studios on to the counterculture. Director Dennis Hopper based his character on David Crosby and based Peter Fonda's character on the singer of the Byrds, Roger McGuinn.
Woodstock - 1969
David Crosby along with Stills, Nash and Young sing to the hippies.
San Francisco - 1970
David Crosby forms a band with Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and Mickey Hart from the Grateful Dead and dub themselves David and the Dorks.
Philadelphia - 1985
At the massive concert for relief for the Ethiopian famine, David Crosby reunites with Stills, Nash, and Young. Their afternoon set went on immediately after REO Speedwagon and immediately before Judas Priest. They returned for an encore immediately after Led Zeppelin and right before Duran Duran.
Neverland - 1991
David Crosby makes an appearance as one of Captain Hook's pirates in the Stephen Spielberg movie Hook.
Cover of Rolling Stone - 2000
Singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge reveals that the father of her two children via artificial insemination is none other than David Crosby.
Hollywood, Florida -2013
David Crosby sings with Crosby, Stills and Nash at Hard Rock Live. 8 p.m., May 10 and 11, at One Seminole Way, Hollywood. Visit hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com.
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