Jesse Colin Young, the co-founder and vocalist for ‘60s folk-rockers The Youngbloods, has passed away at the age of 83.
Young’s passing was announced by his wife and manager, Connie Young, who confirmed that he died at his Aiken, South Carolina home on Sunday (March 16). No cause of death was given alongside the announcement.
Born Perry Miller in New York City in 1941, Young grew up in a musical household and was encouraged by his parents to learn piano from a young age. Attending Massachusetts’ Phillips Academy on a scholarship, Young studied guitar but was expelled, later enrolling in Ohio State University after high school before transferring to New York University. Deciding to become a full-time musician in the early ’60s, he adopted the Jesse Colin Young moniker from famed western outlaws Jesse James and Cole Younger, and Formula One innovator Colin Chapman.
Young issued his debut album, The Soul of a City Boy, in 1964 via Capitol Records, before following it up with Young Blood on Mercury in 1965. That same year, Young teamed up with guitarist and folk singer Jerry Corbitt with whom he would form The Youngbloods, named for his recently-released album.
Though debut single “Rider” would not chart upon its release in 1966, its follow-up “Grizzly Bear” would give the band their first success when it reached No. 52 on the Hot 100. The tracks were featured on their self-titled debut album in 1967, which also featured a version of the Chet Powers-penned “Get Together.” The single would only hit No. 62 on the Hot 100 upon its release, but was reissued in 1969 where it went to No. 5, ultimately going Gold, and defining the musical sound that accompanied the peace-loving attitudes of the ‘60s.
“As the frontman of The Youngbloods, he immortalized the ideals of the Woodstock generation with ‘Get Together,’ an international hit that called for peace and brotherhood during the turbulent 1960s,” a statement released following Young’s passing noted. “During the decades that followed, Young expanded both his audience and his artistic range, releasing a string of solo albums that mixed socially conscious lyrics with top-tier guitar skills and gorgeous vocals.”
The Youngbloods would split in 1972 following five albums, though would later reform in late 1984 for a brief tour. Young returned to his career as a solo musician upon the band’s initial breakup, with his most successful record, 1975’s Songbird, peaking at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 upon its release.
In 2012, Young retired from performing following a diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease, though he returned to the stage in 2016, with Dreamers arriving as his final album in 2019.
“An acclaimed songwriter, singer, instrumentalist, producer, label owner, podcast host, and longtime social/environmental activist, [Young] has established a permanent place in America’s musical landscape – while continuing to make modern music that’s every bit as vital as his work during the counterculture era,” the statement issued upon Young’s passing concluded.
Young is survived by his wife and manager, Connie; their children Tristan and Jazzie Young; and two children from his first marriage, Juli and Cheyenne Young.
