David Crosby has apologized for his insensitive remarks about Eddie Van Halen following the electric guitar great’s death at age 65.
And the reasoning is, well, quite David Crosby-ian, with the CSN singer and guitarist explaining he simply forgot Van Halen has recently passed.
As Crosby wrote on Twitter, “Yes you Van Halen fans I did just toss off an answer that was not cool. The even more embarrassing truth is... I didn’t even remember he had just died or I would have kept my mouth shut….I do make mistakes …no offense intended.”
The dust-up began on October 10 when a fan tweeted at Crosby, writing, “I know you’re not into metal David, but what’s your opinion on Eddie Van Halen?”
yes you Van Halen fans I did just toss off an answer that was not cool ...the even more embarrassing truth is ..I didn't even remember he had just died or I would have kept my mouth shut....I do make mistakes ...no offense intendedOctober 13, 2020
To which Crosby replied, “Meh…”
After being roundly criticized, Crosby later doubled down: “Hendrix changed the world of guitar,” he wrote. “Nobody else really. Look I get it: many of you loved Van Halen… and the one time I met he was nice… and he was talented.”
“[M]eh to me means I don’t care that much… and I don’t. Doesn’t mean he wasn’t good, he was but not for me.”
As guitarist Pete Thorn explained in his own reponse to Crosby, “David, there were two electric guitar game changers. The first was Hendrix, the second was Eddie Van Halen.
“Just because you weren’t tuned into it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. It totally fucking happened. For millions upon millions of us.”
