David Crosby Once Gave Drew Barrymore a ‘Safe Place to Go’ While She Recovered From Addiction

Over the past few days, friends and colleagues of David Crosby have taken to social media to remember the incredible, thoughtful, selfless, kind, and generous life he lived. Stories have continued to pour in – some new, some old, but all of them defining the type of human he was. He will be greatly missed. 

Crosby passed away on January 19th after a long illness – he was 81 years old. The legendary rock musician was known for helping others through dark times and while there are countless stories out there to support this fact, one, in particular, is drawing the interest of many on social media, and for good reason.

It’s a story that dates back to the late-1980s and features a 14-year-old Drew Barrymore, who was struggling with addiction at the time. In a book of hers, she detailed the moment she ran away from rehab and found a payphone, where she called none other than David Crosby – who didn’t hesitate to help. 

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After picking up the phone, David Crosby said he would be right there to pick her up – all he had to do was put some pajamas on. “He pulled up a few minutes later – yes, in his pajamas – and took me back to his house, where we sat in his car and talked for almost two hours,” she recounted in her 1990 memoir. 

Barrymore went on to talk about her relationship with her mother – who she blames for her addiction. She was put in a psychiatric facility at 13 years old but eventually emancipated herself from her parents. As for that two-hour talk with Crosby, it turned into a three-month stay with him and his wife, Jan Dance. 

Her time with Crosby saved her career and set her on a path to greatness. Already a child star, Barrymore went on to define the 1990s and 2000s era of film – ultimately receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004. She has been nominated for seven Emmy awards and won a Golden Globe in 2009.

As for David Crosby, he goes down as one of the greatest rock musicians of all-time. As a founding member of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, Crosby. He rose to prominence in the 1960s and continued to entertain audiences around the world for the next six decades – a true legend and icon. 

David Crosby Talks About His Time With Drew Barrymore

In a 2021 interview with Howard Stern, Crosby talked about taking Barrymore in. “We knew her because we were in recovery at that time. We were going to meetings probably three times a week and totally sober,” Crosby said. “She was in a facility that was run by a friend of ours,” he explained at the time.

He recalled the situation a little differently than Barrymore did in her book, but that was likely to protect her – almost as if a father would do for his daughter. He explained that her insurance was going to run out and she wouldn’t be able to go to rehab anymore – adding that she needed ‘a safe place to go.’ 

“We took her to school in the morning and tried to be a good influence. I think we were kind and loving, and it felt good to do. You try to do stuff, and you’re not sure how it’s going to work out. I think that one worked. I think she became a responsible human being and is a nice person,” he added in the interview.

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Of course, this is just one of the many stories that show how incredible of a human David Crosby was. Let’s not forget this is the same man who donated his sperm to friend and fellow rock legend, Melissa Etheridge, so she and her partner, Julie Cypher, can start their family. They went on to have two kids.