Dash Crofts of ’70s soft-rock icons Seals & Crofts has died

Darryl “Dash” Crofts of ’70s icons Seals & Crofts died on Wednesday following complications from heart surgery. He was 85.

“With sorrow and gratitude, we mourn a man whose loving-kindness, remarkable compassion, beautiful and tender voice has uplifted so many hearts across the globe,” read a family statement. “We extend our gratitude and appreciation for the outpouring of love and support that we have received from around the world, and we celebrate and honor his legacy of service to mankind.”

Crofts met Jim Seals when they were teenagers, as both played in ’60s group Dean Beard & The Crew Cats, and they’d go on to play in The Champs. It was when they struck out as a duo in 1969 that their careers really took off, crafting a folk-rock sound that would later be dubbed “soft rock” with such ’70s hits as “Summer Breeze,” “Diamond Girl,” and “Get Closer.”

Seals & Crofts parted ways in 1981, but reunited briefly from 1989 – 1992, and then again in 2004.

Rest easy, Dash.

Jim Seals died in 2022.