Ethan Crosby
Encyclopedia
Ethan Crosby was an American
musician
, singer, and songwriter
. Brother of David Crosby
of The Byrds
and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
and Aliph Van Cortlandt Whitehead. He was an older brother to David Crosby
of The Byrds
and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Ethan Crosby grew up in the Los Angeles area. He described himself in his childhood years as a "loner" who preferred reading to socializing and first took up playing music when his parents bought him a guitar as a gift when he was in the fifth or sixth grade. Beginning in the mid-1940s Ethan and David attended summer camp at Camp Trinity in the Trinity National Forest
in northern California. The camp's emphasis on the outdoors and a lack of reliance on technology made a strong impression on Crosby. For eight years he would return to the camp every summer eventually becoming a senior counselor.
After graduating from Carpinteria High School
Crosby briefly attended junior college in Santa Barbara then one quarter at Cal Poly
with the intention of studying agriculture but dropping out after becoming disillusioned with the curriculum.
near San Francisco. His lifestyle became more unconventional as he began living in Volkswagen buses and becoming increasingly idealistic in his attitudes. Ethan eventually became frustrated with the music business when he saw how his brother and colleagues used their success to pursue their own selfish pleasures and material gain rather than using their privileged position to effect positive change.
on the central California coast, beginning his life as a self described "hermit" and back to the lander, living a rugged lifestyle on the ridges above the Pacific Ocean. However, frequent encounters and confrontations with tourists and dirt bike enthusiasts eventually convinced him it was time to move on.
. Subsisting on odd jobs and money sent by his family while living in improvised structures made from wooden poles, plywood and visqueen
plastic. Eventually finding work as a guard and caretaker for illicit marijuana grow operations hidden in the mountains.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, singer, and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. Brother of David Crosby
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
of The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
Early life
Ethan Crosby (born Floyd Delafield Crosby Jr. 1937, died 1997) was the son of Floyd CrosbyFloyd Crosby
Floyd Delafield Crosby, A.S.C. was an American cinematographer.Crosby was born and raised in West Philadelphia, the son of Julia Floyd and Frederick Van Schoonhoven Crosby...
and Aliph Van Cortlandt Whitehead. He was an older brother to David Crosby
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
of The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Ethan Crosby grew up in the Los Angeles area. He described himself in his childhood years as a "loner" who preferred reading to socializing and first took up playing music when his parents bought him a guitar as a gift when he was in the fifth or sixth grade. Beginning in the mid-1940s Ethan and David attended summer camp at Camp Trinity in the Trinity National Forest
Trinity National Forest
Trinity National Forest was established as the Trinity Forest Reserve by the U.S. Forest Service in California on April 26, 1905 with . It became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908 it gave up some acreage to California National Forest. In 1954 it was combined administratively with...
in northern California. The camp's emphasis on the outdoors and a lack of reliance on technology made a strong impression on Crosby. For eight years he would return to the camp every summer eventually becoming a senior counselor.
After graduating from Carpinteria High School
Carpinteria High School
Carpinteria High School is a high school located in Carpinteria, California. Located adjacent to the foothills on the edge of the Carpinteria Valley, it is the only public high school in Carpinteria and serves a student body of approximately 700 students in grades 9-12.-Athletics:Carpinteria High...
Crosby briefly attended junior college in Santa Barbara then one quarter at Cal Poly
California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. The university is one of two polytechnic campuses in the 23-member California State University system....
with the intention of studying agriculture but dropping out after becoming disillusioned with the curriculum.
Musical career
Crosby spent much of the early to mid-1960s as a working musician performing on the jazz and folk circuits playing guitar and stand up bass. Sometimes performing with his brother David and migrating around the country wherever work was to be found, playing in California, Miami, Las Vegas, and Colorado.Disillusion and retreat
As younger brother David's fame grew, Ethan continued to struggle as a working class musician and pursue his own artistic vision, at one point using his own money to have a wind organ built on Mount TamalpaisMount Tamalpais
Mount Tamalpais is a peak in Marin County, California, United States, often considered symbolic of Marin County. Much of Mount Tamalpais is protected within public lands such as Mount Tamalpais State Park and the Mount Tamalpais Watershed.-Geography:...
near San Francisco. His lifestyle became more unconventional as he began living in Volkswagen buses and becoming increasingly idealistic in his attitudes. Ethan eventually became frustrated with the music business when he saw how his brother and colleagues used their success to pursue their own selfish pleasures and material gain rather than using their privileged position to effect positive change.
Big Sur
After his disappointment with the music industry, Ethan retreated to Big SurBig Sur
Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the Central Coast of California where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The name "Big Sur" is derived from the original Spanish-language "el sur grande", meaning "the big south", or from "el país grande del sur", "the big...
on the central California coast, beginning his life as a self described "hermit" and back to the lander, living a rugged lifestyle on the ridges above the Pacific Ocean. However, frequent encounters and confrontations with tourists and dirt bike enthusiasts eventually convinced him it was time to move on.
Northern California
Ethan next moved north settling into the northern California wilderness near Mount ShastaMount Shasta
Mount Shasta is located at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California and at is the second highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth highest in California...
. Subsisting on odd jobs and money sent by his family while living in improvised structures made from wooden poles, plywood and visqueen
Visqueen
Visqueen is a power pop/punk rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 2001. It is named after a brand of polyethylene film that United States Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge once recommended as a defense against bioterrorism....
plastic. Eventually finding work as a guard and caretaker for illicit marijuana grow operations hidden in the mountains.