David Crosby decided enough time has passed since his 1969 crime, that he could divulge some details about how he and the members of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (CSNY) once stole a pick-up truck to get to the infamous Altamont concert. The 1969 concert is tragically best known for the Rolling Stones' set in which a fan was killed by a member of the Hells Angeles, who were hired on as security for the event.
Crosby's admission of guilt comes from an interview with Mojo, for the publication's special '60s edition magazine covering events from one of rock history's most fertile decades.
Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Neil Young and Crosby along with some touring staff, landed from their flight to the San Francisco bay area only to find they had no way to get to Altamont Speedway.
"We flew into a small airport not too near the festival with the biggest personal injuries lawyer in San Francisco, our tour manager and some other people, Crosby recalls in the interview. "But there was no one there to meet us. Nobody!"
As he continued with the story, he admitted that the reason they couldn't tell the tale until now is because they feared their lawyer would be banned from his practice.
"The place was dead. Not a soul. But there was a pick-up truck and the guy who worked for me hot-wired the truck and we stole it," Crosby said. "I have not been able to tell this story before, as the lawyer didn't want to get disbarred as an accessory to a crime."
The special one-off issue is on shelves now featuring interviews with The Rolling Stones, Otis Redding, The Beatles, Miles Davis, The Who, PP Arnold, Johnny Marr and more.
Listen to a recording of CSNY's performance at Altamont below.
