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David Crosby says he let the rest of CSNY down “by becoming a junkie”

Crosby says his jail time “pretty much destroyed” the band.

CSNY

Image: Robert Altman / Getty

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David Crosby has said he feels he “let down” Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young, following his arrest for drug and firearm possession and subsequent jail term. The incident was one of many pieces of drama that has impacted the group, and since their final break-up, the four members of Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young have had a frayed relationship.

Speaking on an episode of Howard Stern’s show, Crosby said on the topic: “I let all three of those guys down, totally, by becoming a junkie. That’s where I really did hurt them. Not dissing their girlfriend or pissing them off. I actually did harm. And for that, I’ve apologised a million times. And the best apology I could make was to beat it and to come up and be useful again.”

“I did harm to the group. I pretty much destroyed it right then,” he added.

Crosby was arrested in 1982 for drug and firearms possession and was sentenced to five years in prison. The band reformed once Crosby was released, and recorded 1988’s American Dream. The road to their current state as a band (Graham Nash has said that they “don’t talk to David”) was paved with many reunions and re-breakups. “We all three hurt each other over and over again,” Crosby said of this. “All of us did horrible stuff to each other.

Crosby’s relationship with the rest of the band remains mainly estranged. When Crosby said to Stern that his arrest was “where I really did hurt them… Not dissing their girlfriend” he was referring to a 2016 incident in which he called Neil Young’s then-girlfriend, now his wife, Daryl Hannah a “purely poisonous predator.”

He has since apologised, and despite the ongoing tensions, Crosby confirmed to Stern: “I have no beef with any of them. I hope they’re all ok. I want them to be happy.”

See a snippet of his appearance on the show below.

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