LOS ANGELES — Darrell “Dash” Crofts, one half of the 1970s soft-rock duo Seals and Crofts known for hits including “Summer Breeze” and “Diamond Girl,” died Wednesday at age 85.
Crofts died of complications from heart failure at the Heart Hospital of Austin in Austin, Texas, his family confirmed. He was the last surviving member of the partnership after bandmate Jim Seals died in 2022 at age 80.
Born Darrell George Crofts on Aug. 14, 1940, in Cisco, Texas, Crofts grew up playing music from an early age. He met Jim Seals as teenagers in Texas and the two formed a band before moving to California. They first gained attention as part of the Champs, the instrumental group behind the 1958 hit “Tequila.” Seals and Crofts launched their duo in the late 1960s, blending folk, rock and soft-rock elements with mandolin and guitar.
The pair achieved major commercial success in the early 1970s. Their 1972 album “Summer Breeze” featured the title track, which reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of their signature songs. Follow-up hits included “Diamond Girl” in 1973 and “Get Closer” in 1976. Their music, characterized by harmonious vocals and melodic instrumentation, earned them a dedicated following and multiple gold and platinum albums.
Seals and Crofts released more than a dozen albums together over nearly two decades. They were known for incorporating themes of peace and spirituality, influenced by their affiliation with the Bahá’í Faith. The duo toured extensively and appeared on major television shows during their peak popularity.
After the duo’s active recording and touring period ended in the late 1970s, Crofts pursued other interests, including raising Arabian horses on a farm in Texas. Occasional reunions and solo projects followed in later years.
As of Friday, family members had not announced public memorial plans. Tributes from musicians and fans continued to appear online, noting the duo’s influence on soft-rock music of the era.
