Folk icon David Crosby, most famously of the group Crosby, Stills and Nash as well as The Byrds, has come under scrutiny for a tweet in which he was asked for his thoughts on Eddie Van Halen following the guitar legend’s passing on Oct. 6, to which he replied with a dismissive, “Meh.”
Crosby’s reply led to a back and forth that has left upset fans on Twitter as well as unhappy rock and metal musicians. Most of the exchanges came over the weekend and began on Oct. 10. The 79-year old has since retweeted several messages from other Twitter users who have come to his defensive over what many view as an insensitive remark.
Testament‘s Alex Skolnick posited an alternative way Crosby could have handled the situation, suggesting he instead should have said, “I know he meant a lot to so many but his sound and style just weren’t my thing.” He also shared a screenshot of a post from punk icon Patti Smith, commending her for her words while surmising she wasn’t a big Van Halen fan herself.
L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns was a bit more boisterous than Skolnick, slamming the folk rocker when stating, “Fuck this guy. Fuck this answer and most of all fuck this guy. I don’t give a shit what anyone says. That’s bullshit David.”
The ever-opinionated Dee Snider retweeted Guns’ message, and took his shot when adding, “Agreed. That said, I’ve always hated [David Crosby] AND his mustache.”
Although the original “Meh” tweet from Crosby remains, it does appear that he understands there was a more mindful way he could have got his point across that the groundbreaking guitarist wasn’t someone he felt particularly moved by. Crosby retweeted one message, which suggested he alternatively could have said, “I don’t care for the end product, it’s just not my style. But there’s no question at all about his talent and the revolution he brought to the whole industry.”
Eddie Van Halen is largely credited as a revolutionary guitarist in the rock and metal realm. Not only did his flashy style inspire countless fans to begin playing guitar (and to become insanely proficient at playing it), but he was also a pioneer in sound itself with a signature line of amplifiers, guitars and other gear.
Still, Crosby made it apparent that he views Jimi Hendrix as the singular guitarist who “changed the world of guitar.” He also clarified the “meh” comment as, “Meh 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.”
Now, this isn’t a call to arms to spam a nearly 80-year-old man’s Twitter page with messages of vitriol. You’re better than that. Take the high road.
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