Legendary singer-songwriter and social justice activist David Crosby is coming to Kelowna to play the Community Theatre Sept. 14.
A two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, inducted as a member of both the iconic folk-rock band The Byrds — with whom he first rose to stardom — and the iconic Woodstock era-defining group Crosby, Stills & Nash, Crosby has had a long and winding journey in his music career.
Crosby originally intended to be an actor when he moved from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles in 1960 but music prevailed and Crosby began his career as a folksinger, playing clubs and coffeehouses nationwide. In L.A. in ’63, Crosby formed The Byrds with Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Gene Clark and Michael Clarke, winning widespread recognition for his songwriting and charismatic presence. Driven by hits including “Eight Miles High,” “Turn! Turn! Turn!,” and a cover of Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man,” The Byrds’ signature electric folk-rock influenced countless musicians to come.
Crosby left The Byrds in 1967 to embark on a lifelong collaboration with Graham Nash and Stephen Stills. Renowned for vocal harmonies, stellar musicianship and timeless songs, Crosby, Stills, & Nash (CSN) have been called “the voice of a generation,” and were Grammy-honored in 1969 as Best New Artist.
The trio’s self-titled debut album introduced classics including the Crosby-penned tracks “Guinnevere” and “Wooden Ships”—today, it is included on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Crosby continues to tour and record with CSN and as a duo with Graham Nash.
His work with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (CSNY) is also regarded as among the most important music of all time.
As a solo artist, Crosby debuted with the 1971 masterpiece If Only I Could Remember My Name, recently reissued as a two-disc set featuring a 5.1 mix, video footage, and other bonuses. David Crosby also performs and records with CPR, the jazz-flavored trio he formed in 1995 with his son James Raymond and Jeff Pevar.
Crosby’s most recent release is 2014’s Croz, his first solo album of studio material in 20 years. Featuring 11 new original songs, Croz was released on Blue Castle Records, the label Crosby co-founded with Graham Nash in 2011. The album entered the Billboard Charts in five different categories.
Crosby is also the author of three books including Stand and Be Counted: Making Music, Making History/The Dramatic Story of the Artists and Causes That Changed America, which underscores his commitment to social activism, and belief that artists and musicians are potent agents for change. Crosby’s two autobiographical volumes are Long Time Gone and Since Then: How I Survived Everything And Lived To Tell About It. The latter, per Entertainment Weekly, chronicles, “A fascinating life worthy of a sequel.”
Crosby plays the Kelowna Community Theatre Wednesday Sept. 14. Tickets are on sale June 10 at Select Your Tickets by phone (250) 762.5050 or online at www.selectyourtickets.com.
