The Passing of Dash Crofts
Dash Crofts, a member of the iconic band Seals & Crofts, has passed away at the age of 85. Known for his role in creating the hit song “Summer Breeze” during the 1970s, his legacy continues to resonate with fans across the globe.
His death was first announced by producer Louie Shelton on Thursday morning. A family member shared with TMZ that the Texas-born musician, whose real name was Darrell Crofts, passed away the night before due to complications from heart surgery. At this time, no memorial plans have been announced.
The other half of the popular band Seals & Crofts, Jim Seals, passed away in 2022. Together, they created several hits throughout their career, including “Year Of Sunday” (1971), “Summer Breeze” (1972), “Diamond Girl” (1973), and “Get Closer” (1976).
Shelton expressed his grief on Facebook, writing: “Sad to hear our dear brother and partner in music has passed away today. Sending love and prayers to all his family and many fans. R.I.P. my brother…..Dash Crofts.” He also shared a photo of Crofts alongside his message.
Seals & Crofts were a soft rock duo formed in 1969 by Jim Seals and Dash Crofts in Los Angeles. Although the duo disbanded in 1981, they reunited briefly from 1989 to 1992, and again in 2004 when they released their final album, Traces.
According to Ultimate Classic Rock, Darrell “Dash” Crofts began his career as a drummer with the band Dean Beard and the Crew Cats. It was there that he met Jim Seals, who was also from Texas. Both musicians later joined The Champs and contributed to the hit song “Tequila.”
They then formed their own band. “About the same time as people like Crosby Stills and Nash,” Crofts once said, “we realized that we had to get out of the money-making aspect of loud rock ‘n’ roll into some music which we really believed in.”
Seals and Crofts both sang, with Crofts playing guitar and mandolin, while Seals played guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and saxophone.
Crofts, along with his wife and two children, lived in Mexico, then Australia, and later Nashville, Tennessee. He eventually settled on a farm in Texas, where he raised Arabian horses. His life was marked by a passion for music and a deep connection to nature.
