Melissa Etheridge reveals David Crosby was a sperm donor for many: 'We're still finding kids'

There are many variations of little David Crosbys out in the world, according to his friend Melissa Etheridge.

Etheridge revealed that Crosby, the biological father of two of her children as a sperm donor, has helped many couples welcome children. The revelation came while she shared that it was the late musician's widow, Jan Dance, who suggested he be Etheridge's donor.

"They had just had help having their son and they appreciated that," Etheridge told PEOPLE in a new interview. "They wanted to pay it forward. We're still finding kids from David Crosby out in the world. My daughter's like, 'I have another half-sister.'"

Crosby is the biological father of Etheridge's daughter Bailey and late son Beckett, who died in 2020 from causes related to opioid addiction — with former partner Julie Cypher.

"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 Cypher. "So we weren't going to go to a sperm bank because she wanted them to know."

"I didn't want someone who wanted to be a father," Etheridge said, thus calling Crosby the "perfect" donor. "And that's what really made it clear for me, was that he was willing to say, 'Yeah, I was the biological father.' And my kids call him bio dad, but they didn't need a relationship with him."

Etheridge is also mom to twins Johnnie Rose and Steven Miller with ex Tammy Lynn Michaels.

Crosby, who found fame as a member of the band The Byrds, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, among others, died in January 2023 at the age of 81. In her social media remembrance, Etheridge said Crosby "gave me the gift of family" and called him a "true treasure." "I will forever be grateful to him," she wrote. "His music and legacy will inspire many generations to come."