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par · 27 mars 2026

Dash Crofts

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Darrell George « Dash » Crofts (August 14, 1938 – March 25, 2026) was an American musician, one half of the soft rock duo Seals & Crofts with Jim Seals.

Crofts was a drummer in his early career, when he met Jim Seals, then a saxophonist. The two would go on to play in The Champs, eventually creating the duo Seals and Crofts, in which both members sang and played the guitar and mandolin among other instruments; they would go on to record hits such as « Summer Breeze » and « Diamond Girl« .

Early life

Darrell George Crofts was born in Cisco, Texas, on August 14, 1938.[1][2] He had a twin sister called Dorothy.[3] Crofts’s nickname « Dash » came from when he was a baby; his mother entered him and his twin into a « beautiful baby » contest and said they would look even cuter if they entered as « Dot » and « Dash ».[3]

Career

Crofts took up the piano at age five before switching to drums at age ten.[3] In high school he played drums in Dean Beard & the Crew Cats, where he met the band’s saxophone player Jim Seals.[4] After Crofts graduated, his father found a job for him which he quit after just one day.[4] He and Seals moved to Southern California and both joined The Champs from 1958 to 1965. Crofts was drafted in 1962 and spent two years with the Army in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.[3]

In 1969 the two started working as a recording duo under the name « Seals and Crofts« . Throughout the 1970s the duo had hit after hit with their self-penned songs including « Summer Breeze » and « Diamond Girl » and had four albums go gold and two go platinum.[5][3][6] Both Seals and Crofts picked up the guitar and Crofts additionally took up the mandolin as it would be easier to take on planes and carry around while travelling.[3]

The two parted ways in 1983 but reunited in the 1990s and in 2004. Crofts released a solo album, Today, in 1998.[7]

Personal life and death

Both Crofts and Seals were adherents of the Baháʼí Faith, which was an inspiration for their music.[2]

Crofts, his wife and two children lived in Mexico, then Australia, and then Nashville, Tennessee.[8] He lived on a farm in Texas and raised Arabian horses.[8] Crofts died in Austin, Texas, from complications of heart surgery on March 25, 2026, at the age of 87.[9][2][10]

References

  1.  « 1940 Census Population Schedules – Texas – Eastland County – ED 67-24 », United States census, 1940; Eastland County, Texas; roll 4024, page 11A, line 2, enumeration district ED 67-24, National Archives film number NAID: 138516121. Retrieved on October 5, 2025.
  2.  « Dash Crofts, of the Soft-Rock Duo That Sang ‘Summer Breeze,’ Dies at 87 ». The New York Times. March 26, 2026. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  3.  DeYoung, Bill (July 6, 2023). « Seals & Crofts: We May Never Pass This Way Again ». Bill DeYoung dot com. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  4.  « DASH CROFTS ». tims.blackcat.nl. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
  5.  Top Pop Singles 1955–2010 – Joel Whitburn 2011 – Page 792 ISBN 978-0-89820-188-8.
  6.  « Gold & Platinum ». RIAA. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
  7.  « Dash Crofts Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More… » AllMusic. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  8.  « Seals and Crofts ». Classicbands.com. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
  9.  DeRiso, Nick (March 26, 2026). « Dash Crofts of ’70s Hitmakers Seals and Crofts Dies ». WPDH. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  10.  Kaplan, Ilana (March 26, 2026). « Dash Crofts, Seals & Crofts Member and ‘Summer Breeze’ Singer, Dies at 85 ». People.com. Retrieved March 26, 2026.

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