David Crosby’s Wife Was His Biggest Supporter: Inside Late Musician’s Marriage to Jan Dance

The Byrds cofounder David Crosby has died at age 81, his wife, Jan Dance, confirmed in a statement to Variety. The couple had been married since 1987. 

“It is with great sadness after a long illness, that our beloved David (Croz) Crosby has passed away. He was lovingly surrounded by his wife and soulmate Jan and son Django,” Dance shared in a statement. “Although he is no longer here with us, his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us. His legacy will continue to live on through his legendary music. Peace, love, and harmony to all who knew David and those he touched. We will miss him dearly. At this time, we respectfully and kindly ask for privacy as we grieve and try to deal with our profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers.” Keep scrolling below to learn more about Crosby’s wife, Jan.

Who Is David Crosby’s Wife Jan Dance? 

During their 36 years of marriage, Crosby and Dance welcomed one son together, Django. The Crosby, Stills & Nash rocker was also a dad to kids James Raymond, Erika and Donovan from previous relationships. Just a month before announcing her husband’s death, Dance shared a photo of Crosby on her Instagram page cuddling up to a puppy. In another photo from September 2022, the pair shared a kiss during a day of horseback riding. 

He and Dance met when she was working as a receptionist in the entertainment industry. The pair shared a passion for music. 

“I was so in love with music. It was a great open door for me,” Jan once reflected on her career, per Amo Mama. “The Eagles recorded at Criteria. And the Bee Gees, Eric Clapton and Aretha Franklin … It was a unique time; the studio people and the people who came to record grew together, and I could actually see a song and album be born. To me, that was the greatest gift there was.”

Though Crosby had another girlfriend at the time he first met Dance, the pair ended up giving things a shot when his previous relationship didn’t work out. The couple wed at the Hollywood Church of Religious Science on Sunset Boulevard in California. The guitarist shared that he was “absolutely excited and-a-half,” about their nuptials at the time, according to multiple reports.

Family meant the world to Crosby. The songwriter once revealed that his proudest accomplishment in life was his kids.

“They’re your kids and, when you see them born, you love them and they matter more than I can tell you,” he gushed to Closer Weekly in July 2019.

David was the biological father of singer Melissa Etheridge‘s two children with ex-wife Julie Cypher. Daughter Bailey was born in 1997, while son Beckett arrived the following year. Sadly, he died in 2020 of a drug overdose at the age of 21.

“I am grieving the loss of my friend Beckett and Bailey’s biological father, David,” Melissa captioned an Instagram post of a photo of the pair together. “He gave me the gift of family. I will forever be grateful to him, Django, and Jan. His music and legacy will inspire many generations to come,” she added.