Crosby, Stills and Nash

▪ British-American rock group

      British-American trio—and, with Neil Young (Young, Neil), quartet, as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young—whose acoustic and electric folk rock songs became musical primers for hippies following Woodstock. The members were David Crosby (original name David Van Cortland; b. Aug. 14, 1941, Los Angeles, Calif., U.S.), Stephen Stills (b. Jan. 3, 1945, Dallas, Texas, U.S.), and Graham Nash (b. Feb. 2, 1942, Blackpool, Lancashire, Eng.).

      With ex-members of three important 1960s rock groups—the Byrds (Byrds, the) (Crosby), Buffalo Springfield (Stills and Young), and the Hollies (Hollies, the) (Nash)—Crosby, Stills and Nash was the epitome of the supergroup (a group formed by already revered performers) when it formed in 1968. Capitalizing on the musicianship of gifted guitarist Stills, the skillful songwriting of all three members, and the dulcet three-part harmonies that were their trademark, Crosby, Stills and Nash produced a best-selling eponymous debut album in 1969 that remained on the charts for more than two years. With Young they turned out two number one albums, Déjà vu (1970) and the live Four Way Street (1971), before parting ways and re-forming for a concert tour in 1974, the same year that their compilation album, So Far, topped the charts. Ambition, ego, and internecine struggle led them to pursue solo careers, but they re-formed in various combinations in the following decades. Albums such as American Dream (1988) failed to exhibit the synergy of Déjà vu, sounding more like a collection of the various members' solo material than a collaborative effort. The group remained a successful live act into the 21st century, however, and consistently sold out venues around the world. Crosby, Stills and Nash was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

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