logo

David Crosby on why he’s releasing so many albums: “Now I’m 80 years old so I’m gonna die fairly soon”

The folk legend spoke unabashedly to a high school journalism class for an hour.

David Crosby onstage

Photo: Mike Windle / Getty

When you purchase through affiliate links on Guitar.com, you may contribute to our site through commissions. Learn more.

Never one to beat around the bush, David Crosby has said in a new interview that the reason behind the “absurd rate” he’s been releasing new albums is that he believes he’ll soon be dead.

The folk icon was speaking to a high school journalism class in Golden, Colorado on 9 March, dropping wisdom on a wide span of topics, from recreational drug use in the flower power days, to why he dislikes both Donald Trump and the opera.

On why he’s been churning out records at a “startling rate” – and has another in the works already – Crosby told the students: “I’ve made five albums in six, seven years. It’s an absurd rate to be cranking albums out. The reason being is that I’m gonna die. I mean, we all… everybody dies. I’m sure someone told you.”

“And I want to crank out all the music I possibly can before I do. Now I’m 80 years old so I’m gonna die fairly soon. That’s how that works. And so I’m trying really hard to crank out as much music as I possibly can, as long as it’s really good…I have another one already in the can waiting.”

Commenting on the 60s, and in particular, his encounters with drugs, the surviving cocaine and heroin user called his experience “wide and varied” and said that he only regretted getting involved with hard substances.

“I wish I had never encountered hard drugs, that was a big mistake. Big mistake. But I don’t regret my life because it let me get out there and make music,” he said. “And making music is an absolute joy…what happened was a blossoming…an opening of ideas, of compassion, of trying to be decent human beings.”

Last month,Crosby heaped praised on Elon Musk, proclaiming his decision to “continue having fun” on Twitter following Musk’s buyout of the platform.

Related Artists

Related Tags

logo

The world’s leading authority and resource for all things guitar.

© 2024 Guitar.com is part of NME Networks.