Drummer Dallas Taylor, Former Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Dies.

My Drum Lessons was saddened to hear of the death of drum legend Dallas Taylor at the age of just 66. Taylor played on Crosby, Stills and Nash’s self-titled debut album in 1969 and their follow-up a year later with Neil Young, “Déjà Vu”. Dallas died Sunday at age 66, his wife Patti McGovern-Taylor revealed in a Facebook Post. Taylor’s cause of death was unclear. “This morning at 2:30 am I lost the love of my life Dallas W Taylor, he came into my life almost 18 yrs ago and saved me as much as i may have saved him, To me he was just a Good Man, a Good Friend, a Good Father, a Good Grandfather or Pop Pop, a Great Drummer and much beloved by many,” McGovern-Taylor wrote.

Taylor was born in Denver, Colorado on April 7, 1948, and grew up in San Antonio, Texas, according to his official website. His big break came in the 1960s with the band Clear Light. He went on to play the drums on Crosby, Stills and Nash’s self-titled debut album, “Crosby, Stills & Nash” in 1969 and their follow-up with Neil Young, the hugely populara “Déjà Vu” in 1970. Taylor was with the band when it played at the Woodstock music festival in 1969.

“Well, as Stephen (Stills) states in the book, he was scared shitless,” Taylor told the web site Interview.com. “It was our time to prove ourselves. It was either we were gonna fail miserably or be a success. So, we were all scared. We were a new band. We were not well rehearsed.” While he described the huge crowd as “surreal,” Taylor recalled an encounter with stagehand just as much.

“I remember waiting to go on and some guy came up to me and they usually start it off with an acoustic set and then I would come out. The guy said ‘You know, these are my least favorite people out of all these groups,’ ” Taylor recalled, laughing. “I don’t think he even realized who he was talking to. But, we were under a lot of pressure to make it sound good ’cause we had no idea the record was taking off the way it was.

Taylor described himself as an addiction specialist on his web site. Below is Patti McGovern-Taylor Facebook post in its entirety.

This morning at 2:30 am I lost the love of my life Dallas W Taylor, he came into my life almost 18 yrs ago and saved me as much as i may have saved him, To me he was just a Good Man, a Good Friend, a Good Father, a Good Grandfather or Pop Pop, a Great Drummer and much beloved by many. I cannot even find the words to put down to say how grateful I am for the many friends and family who have been there for both of us these many days he has spent in the hospital, especially last night. I know he is a peace. He will be missed beyond words, it is so very hard to imagine my life without him by my side, but i feel his love even as i write these words. Much Love to you all …Patti