Jesse Colin Young, the renowned guitarist and frontman of the classic rock band The Youngbloods, has passed away at the age of 83. A representative confirmed his death to PEOPLE on Sunday, March 16.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce music legend Jesse Colin Young, who left a unique mark on the intersecting worlds of folk, blues, jazz, country, and rock & roll, died in his home in Aiken, South Carolina yesterday afternoon,” the statement read.
“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.”
Jesse Colin Young, born Perry Miller on November 22, 1941, in Queens, New York, was a singer-songwriter and guitarist best known as the frontman of the folk-rock band The Youngbloods. His career spanned more than six decades, during which he became a defining voice of the 1960s counterculture movement.
Young grew up in Pennsylvania and later attended Phillips Academy in Massachusetts before enrolling at Ohio State University. However, his love for music led him to drop out and pursue a career as a folk musician. In the early 1960s, he released two solo albums, The Soul of a City Boy (1964) and Young Blood (1965), before forming The Youngbloods with guitarist Jerry Corbitt, drummer Joe Bauer, and bassist Lowell Levinger.
The band gained widespread recognition with their 1967 hit “Get Together,” a call for unity and peace that became an anthem of the era. Though it initially had modest success, the song’s re-release in 1969 propelled it to mainstream popularity. The Youngbloods recorded several albums, including Elephant Mountain (1969), before Young embarked on a solo career in 1972.
As a solo artist, Young blended folk, rock, jazz, and blues influences, releasing albums such as Song for Juli (1973), Light Shine (1974), and On the Road (1976). His music often reflected his passion for social justice and environmental issues.
Despite facing personal and professional challenges, including a Lyme disease diagnosis in the 1980s, Young continued to perform and release music. His later albums, including Dreamers (2019), showcased his enduring talent and message of unity.
