Darrell ‘Dash’ Crofts, half of soft-rock duo Seals & Crofts, is dead at 87
Darrell “Dash” Crofts, one half of the soft-rock duo Seals & Crofts known for 1970s hits like “Summer Breeze,” “Diamond Girl,” and “Get Closer,” has died at the age of 87.
Crofts passed away Wednesday at the Heart Hospital of Austin in Austin, Texas, according to his daughter, Lua Crofts Faragher. She said heart failure was the cause of death and explained that her father had struggled with heart problems for several years and had been hospitalized for roughly a month before he died.
Crofts and his longtime musical partner Jim Seals were both from Texas and had known each other since their high school years. After playing together in several bands, they eventually formed the duo Seals & Crofts in the late 1960s. Their style blended elements of pop, folk, country, and jazz, helping define the softer rock sound of the era alongside groups such as America, Bread, and Loggins and Messina.
Born in Cisco, Texas, in 1938, Crofts developed a passion for music at a young age. Over time he learned to play several instruments, including piano, guitar, drums, and mandolin. As teenagers, he and Seals first performed together in a local rockabilly group called the Crew Cats. By the late 1950s they had moved to Los Angeles, where they joined the Champs, the band behind the early rock hit “Tequila.”
The two musicians later spent time performing in a group led by Glen Campbell and also became members of a California band called the Dawnbreakers. That band included Billie Lee Day, who would later become Crofts’ wife. Although they occasionally shared concert bills with louder rock acts such as Eric Clapton and Deep Purple, Crofts and Seals preferred a more relaxed musical approach and began shaping the softer sound that would later define their partnership.
Seals & Crofts released their self-titled debut album in 1969, followed by Down Home and Year of Sunday. Their major commercial success arrived in 1972 with “Summer Breeze,” which helped launch them to wider fame. That song, along with “Diamond Girl” and “Get Closer,” all reached the Top 10. Other well-known tracks included “I’ll Play for You,” “Hummingbird,” and “We May Never Pass This Way (Again).”
In a 2021 podcast interview, Crofts recalled how the success of “Summer Breeze” changed their careers. The hit led to larger audiences and bigger concerts while their songs continued to land in the Top 40. According to Crofts, the success firmly established the duo in the music industry.
Like many artists of the time, Seals & Crofts often sang about themes of love, harmony, and the natural world. However, their inspiration came largely from the Baha’i faith, a religion that promotes unity and belief in one God. Both musicians embraced the faith during the 1960s, and Faragher said it played a major role in shaping their lives and careers.
By the early 1980s, the popularity of soft-rock had faded and the duo was dropped by their label, Warner Bros. Seals & Crofts split up for a period but still appeared together at Baha’i events and continued making music independently. Crofts later released a solo album titled Today in 1998, and he reunited with Seals in 2004 to record the album Traces.
In more recent years, the duo’s music continued through a new generation. Faragher and Seals’ cousin Brady performed together under the name Seals & Crofts 2. Jim Seals died in 2022, and Faragher said her father’s passing now marks the close of a significant chapter in their musical history.
Crofts is survived by his second wife, Louise Crofts; his children Lua, Faizi, and Amelia; and eight grandchildren. His first marriage ended in divorce. Faragher said that although the loss is painful, the music created by Seals & Crofts will continue to live on.