David Crosby Worried He'd Lose His House Before Selling Publishing Rights

David Crosby made headlines this past winter when he joined a growing number of legendary artists to sell their publishing and recorded music rights.

A two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Croz's catalog includes his work with The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and his many solo albums (his latest, For Free, arrives July 23).

In a recent conversation with Rolling Stone, the typically candid Crosby admitted that selling the rights to his music wasn't an easy choice. But making the deal with Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists Group took a weight off his shoulders.

Windfall from the deal allowed Croz to pay off his house and cover other bills that had been piling up.

"That was really scary," he said. "We were really worried we were going to lose it. I couldn't work live, and I couldn't make money doing records. That deal made a difference for us. It really helped a lot."

Pre-pandemic, Crosby opened up about his financial problems in his 2019 documentary, David Crosby: Remember My Name. When the Iconic Artists Group deal (the value of which was not disclosed) was announced, he called it a "blessing for me and my family" and noted that he had confidence that Azoff's team was the best to look after his catalog.

In addition to the loss of income from the pandemic shutdowns last year, Crosby mourned the death of his biological son Beckett Cypher to opioid addiction and battled painful tendinitis in his hands that has sapped his ability to play guitar.

Crosby is beginning to find hope again, and through it all he admits he's "f---in' lucky" and eager to move on to what's next.