Dash Crofts, Member of Soft Rock Duo Seals & Crofts, Dies at 85

Dash Crofts, a foundational figure of the iconic soft-rock duo Seals and Crofts, has passed away at the age of 85.

The news was first shared by producer Louie Shelton on Thursday morning, March 26, and subsequently confirmed by Crofts’ family. “It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the passing of our dear brother and musical partner,” Shelton wrote in a heartfelt tribute on social media. “Our prayers go out to his family and the countless fans who cherished his work. Rest in peace, Dash.”

Born Darrell George Crofts on August 14, 1940, the Texas-born musician died on Wednesday, March 25, due to heart failure. His daughter, Lua, provided details of his passing to the New York Times.

Crofts’ death comes four years after the loss of his longtime collaborator, Jim Seals, who passed in 2020. As Seals and Crofts, the pair became synonymous with the easy-listening sound of the 1970s, securing several major hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Their most enduring tracks include “Summer Breeze,” “Diamond Girl,” and the Carolyn Willis collaboration “Get Closer”—all of which peaked at No. 6. The duo also released the topically charged “Unborn Child” in 1974, which reached No. 66 on the charts.

The musical bond between Crofts and Seals began in their youth in Texas. Long before their success as a duo, both men played together in the rock group The Champs.

Their commercial impact was equally significant on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Their 1972 effort, Summer Breeze, reached No. 7, while its successor, Diamond Girl, climbed to No. 4 in 1973. Although the partnership officially ended in 1980, they briefly reunited in the late 1980s, the early 1990s, and once more for a final project in 2004.

Dash Crofts is survived by his wife, Louise Crofts, three children, and eight grandchildren.

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