Melissa Etheridge is morning the loss of David Crosby, the father of two of her kids, after he died on Thursday.
“I am grieving the loss of my friend Beckett and Bailey’s biological father, David,” she captioned an image on Instagram Thursday of her sitting next to Crosby as he played the guitar.
“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.
“A true treasure,” she concluded.
The Crosby, Stills & Nash singer fathered Etheridge and her then-partner Julie Cypher’s children, Bailey, 25, and Beckett, who died at age 21 from opioid addiction in May 2020, via artificial insemination.
Etheridge was met with compassionate comments from fans in the comments section of her post.
“Omg I’m absolutely heart broken 💔 and also furious that my phone isn’t blowing up with this news. What an amazing human, we were ALL lucky to have him ✌🏼❤️ Thanks for everything David,” wrote one fan.
“You’re the first person I thought of when I heard of his passing because of the enormous conscious decision made have him father your son it’s heartbreaking,” added another.
“May his legacy live on forever!” commented a third.
Etheridge’s tribute to Crosby comes after his wife, Jan Dance, announced that he had passed away from an illness at age 81.
“It is with great sadness after a long illness, that our beloved David (Croz) Crosby has passed away,” Dance said in a statement to Variety. “He was lovingly surrounded by his wife and soulmate Jan and son Django.”
Dance added that although her husband “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,” she concluded.
In addition to his wife and daughter Bailey, Crosby is also survived by his sons Django and James Raymond, as well as daughters Erika and Donovan.