Bruce Berry

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Bruce Berry was a professional roadie for the members of CSNY both as a group, and individually. He got his start by working at his brother Ken's store SIR (Studio Instrument Rentals) which brought him steady gigs. His happy, charismatic personality endeared him to the group and he was always on the road with them. He used to load all of his instruments into his trademark white Ford Econoline van, until he moved to England to work with Stephen Stills. Supposedly, when he came back to America, he was a completely different person. Danny Whitten (of Crazy Horse) had turned him on to heroin and it now controlled his life. One time, he was working for David Crosby when he told everyone that David's car had been broken into and that his beloved Stratocaster had been stolen. However, everyone knew that he was now a junkie and that he had sold the guitar for drugs (but no one knew it was for heroin). Just a few months after it happened to Danny Whitten, Bruce overdosed on heroin June 4, 1973. Bruce Berry's story has been immortalized in the lyrics to " Tonight's the Night", by Neil Young and Crazy Horse.