Neil Young OC OM

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Biography

Neil Young is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, activist, and environmentalist.

Family

Neil, son of Scott Young and Edna Ragland, was born in Toronto, Ontario on November 12, 1945.

Neil married his first wife, restaurant owner Susan Acevedo, in December 1968; they later divorced. From 1970 to 1975, Neil was in a relationship with actress Carrie Snodgress. He was married to Pegi Morton in August 1978 and divorced in 2014. She is now deceased. Since 2014, Neil has been in a relationship with actress and director Daryl Hannah; they married in 2018.

Neil has lived in a number of places at various times in his life including Omemee and Pickering, Ontario but he considers Winnipeg, Manitoba his "hometown". Young has lived in the California since 1967 and holds dual citizenship for Canada and the United States.

Career

Neil began his musical career in Manitoba with the band, The Squires and later as a solo act. During this time he met Stephen Stills who became a friend and future bandmate.

He moved to Los Angles and joined the band, Buffalo Springfield (1966-1968). After that band broke up, Neil returned to being a solo performer with his back up band, Crazy Horse. In 1969, he joined Crosby, Stills, and Nash and the band was renamed: Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (CSNY). Though it was a tumultuous partnership, it was also an artistic and financial success. They played Woodstock, put out the album Déjà Vu and released the single "Ohio" following the Kent State massacre (which Neil wrote).

Neil went on to further solo success with his albums After the Gold Rush and Harvest. He also reunited with CSNY for a tour in the summer of 1974. In the 1980s, Neil put out experimental and unusual records, experimenting with electronic and rockabilly music. He also courted controversy with some unpopular statements. In the 1990, he returned to his roots, releasing the album Harvest Moon. He also co-founded the record label, Vapor Records and collaborated with filmmaker, Jim Jarmusch.

Neil was an activist, supporting environmental and humanitarian causes such as Haiti disaster relief, sustainable farming, the fight against oil pipelines and more. In 1985, Neil also co-founded the benefit concert Farm Aid. Neil and his wife, Pegi helped found the Bridge School, an educational organization for children with severe verbal and physical disabilities. He participated in the Blue Dot Tour to raise awareness of the environmental damage caused by the exploitation of oilsands.

In 2012, his autobiography Waging Heavy Peace: A Hippie Dream was released to critical and commercial acclaim.

Honours and Awards

Neil's honours include:

• inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, 1982
• inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (first in 1995 for his solo work and in 1997 as a member of Buffalo Springfield)
• inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame, 2000
• proclaimed Artist of the Year by the American Music Association, 2006
• won three Grammy and seven Juno Awards
• received the Order of Canada, 2009.

Sources

See also:

• Neil Young article in Wikipedia

• Neil Young article on EthniCeleb.com

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Tracie Henitiuk and Kitty Smith for contributions to this profile.