Melissa Etheridge Says David Crosby Served as a Sperm Donor For Other Couples

In a new interview with People, the singer-songwriter opened up about her experience with the since-deceased guitarist, and why she chose him to be the biological father of her two children -- Bailey and late son Beckett.

"The situation was special with my partner at the time because she had been adopted and she wanted her children to know who their biological father was," Etheridge said of ex Julie Cypher. "So we weren't going to go to a sperm bank because she wanted them to know."

"To me, I didn't want someone who wanted to be a father... I didn't want all of a sudden my children to have...'Oh, there's dad.' And who am I? That sort of thing," she went on to explain.

Crosby ended up being the "perfect" person to do just that, with Etheridge telling the outlet that it was the late musician's wife, Jane Dance, that suggested him to Etheridge.

"They had just had help having their son and they appreciated that. They wanted to pay it forward," she recalled.

As for how many other children Crosby fathered outside of those he shares with his former partners and Etheridge, that's unclear, but the "Come to My Window" singer says there's quite a few Crosbys out there.

"We're still finding kids from David Crosby out in the world," she quipped. "My daughter's like, 'I have another half-sister.' He did not need to be [a father]. And that's what really made it clear for me, was that he was willing to say, 'Yeah, I was the biological father.'"

Etheridge added, "And my kids call him bio dad, so he's the biological father, but they didn't need a relationship with him."

In addition to Bailey, 27, and Beckett, who died of an opioid overdose in 2020, Crosby is also dad to sons James and Django, as well as daughters Erika and Donovan -- whom he welcomed with his respective partners over the years.

Etheridge, meanwhile, shares Bailey and Beckett with Cypher and is also mom to twins Johnnie Rose and Steven Miller, 17, with ex Tammy Lynn Michaels.

When Crosby died in January 2023, Etheridge marked his loss by reflecting on the "gift of family" he'd given to her.

"I am grieving the loss of my friend, and Bailey's and Beckett's biological father, David," Etheridge wrote on Instagram at the time.

"He gave me the gift of family. I will forever be grateful to him, [son] Django, and [wife] Jan. His music and legacy will inspire many generations to come. A true treasure."