Dallas Taylor, the drummer who was a frequent collaborator with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, died on Sunday at a Los Angeles hospital, according to the LA Times. He was 66 years old. An official cause of death was not release, but Taylor’s wife confirmed that the drummer had been suffering from ill health for some time.
Born in Denver, Colorado, Taylor started playing the drums after seeing a film about the life of Gene Krupa. At 16, he dropped out of high school and moved to Los Angeles, where he played drums in Clear Light. In the late 1960s, Taylor met and befriended the trio of Crosby, Stills & Nash, and he played on the group’s first self-titled albums. He joined them again for the group’s second album and first with Neil Young, Déjà Vu, and he performed with the band at Woodstock.
Taylor remained active in music throughout the 1970’s, performing on Stills’ debut solo album and in Stills’ group Manassas, as well as spending some time with Van Morrison and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. However, Taylor’s hard-partying ways caught up with him and he left music after receiving a liver transplant in 1990.
Later in life, Taylor cleaned up and began working as an addiction counselor specializing in helping addicts and alcoholics reunite with their families.
Taylor is survived by his wife, Patti McGovern-Taylor; his son Dallas; his daughters Sharlotte and Lisa; and five grandchildren.
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