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When Jesse Colin Young’s death was announced on Monday, it was inevitable that “Get Together” — the peace-and-brotherhood anthem that he and the Youngbloods turned into a decades-long radio staple —would be mentioned first. Young neither wrote it nor was the first to record it. But even after it’s been covered by everyone from Joni Mitchell and Jefferson Airplane to Kelly Clarkson, the Youngbloods’ version, with its snuggly harmonies and spiraling guitar, remains definitive, the most reassuring of them all.

That said, Young had more to offer than that song.

Jesse Colin Young, The Youngbloods frontman and bassist who sang the counterculture classic “Get Together” and went on to a long solo career, died March 16 at his home in Aiken, Sc. He was 83. His publicist Michael Jensen announced the news but did not provide a cause of death.

The Boston-based Youngbloods released their self-titled debut album on RCA Victor in early 1967, but its first single, “Grizzly Bear,” stalled in the mid-50s of the Billboard Hot 100. The disc’s second single was “Get Together,” but it fared even less well, peaking at No. 62 at the end of the Summer of Love.

Despite playing on American Bandstand, the band appeared destined for also-ran status.

Then came the use of “Get Together” in a 1969 PSA for the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and folks started calling radio stations to request the song.

In a 2019 interview for NPR’s “American Anthem,” Young...

Jesse Colin Young, the frontman and co-founder of the seminal Sixties group the Youngbloods, died Sunday, March 16. He was 83.

Young’s wife and manager, Connie Young, confirmed his death, saying the musician died at his home in Aiken, South Carolina. A cause of death was not revealed.

The Youngbloods were best known for their 1969 hit, “Get Together,” a singular folk-rock anthem, written by Chet Powers (a.k.a. Dino Valenti), that epitomized the utopian dreams of the Sixties counterculture as the decade came to its tumultuous end. It’s unforgettable hook,...

Jesse Colin Young, the singer, songwriter and founding member of the Youngbloods, the 1960s group best known for their top 10 hit “Get Together,” has died. He was 83.

Young died Sunday in his home in Aiken, South Carolina, his wife and manager, Connie Young, announced.

As the frontman of the Youngbloods, Young brought forth the ideals of the Woodstock generation with his band’s version of Chet Powers’ “Get Together.” The song, which called for peace and brotherhood, came off their debut album in 1967 and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 two years later.

After the group’s breakup in 1972, Young thrived as a solo artist, releasing albums that mixed socially conscious lyrics with outstanding guitar work and warm tenor vocals. He also was known for such other tunes as “Four in the Morning,” “Sunlight,” “Darkness, Darkness,” “Quicksand” and “Peace Song.”

Born Perry Miller in 1941 in Queens, Young was raised on Long Island.

Nick Gravenites, a Chicago blues musician who relocated to San Francisco in the 1960s and played an important role in that city’s burgeoning rock scene, died Wednesday, September 18, after many months of failing health. He was 86.

His death was announced by family on his Facebook page. Details about cause or place of death were not disclosed, with the post noting that details will follow as they arrive. “The Gravenites family appreciates all of the fans and loved ones who have been there for us during this time,” the Facebook note states.

A GoFundMe page to defray medical costs for Gravenites was set up last April, in part by longtime friend and colleague Barry Melton of Country Joe and the Fish.

Gravenites was born on October 2, 1938, in Chicago, and by the mid-1950s immersed himself in the city’s blues scene, forming, as his website bio puts it, a “coterie...

A Capitol Fourth is set to mark its 40th anniversary with a completely overhauled show.

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, PBS’ annual 4th of July celebration will not be held on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Instead, the special will feature pre-taped performances from iconic locations across the country, including Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. It will then conclude with a live fireworks show from the nation’s capitol.

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The music and technology industries have joined forces to launch SongAid, an ongoing effort to fight the global hunger crisis exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Starting on May 29, each week SongAid will release new music from a growing list of contributing artists. Each time a fan listens to a SongAid song, the streaming proceeds will go to WhyHunger’s Rapid Response Fund. Content will be distributed through a partnership with leading music distribution company The Orchard and made available to fans listening on Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Apple Music and sharing on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

“SongAid is a simple charitable innovation primed for long term global impact,” said Fred Beteille, founder of SongAid. “Our united goal is to leverage the power of music to raise funds and provide direct, ongoing support to those in need. We’re proud to bring these people and industries together to create a...

Jesse Colin Young, founding member of the Sixties folk-rock group the Youngbloods, performs three songs from his home for the latest episode of Rolling Stone‘s “In My Room.”

Surrounded by his guitars from over the years, the singer-songwriter starts off the segment by reminding everyone that “it’s a time where we need to pull together; we need each other.” Then he jumps into an acoustic rendition of the 1974 track “Light Shine.” Young then performs “Walk the Talk,” the title track of a 2001 solo album where he collaborated with his son Cheyenne Young,...

Rosanne Cash has been named the recipient of the “John Lennon Real Love Award,” an honor she will accept at the 38th Annual John Lennon Tribute concert November 30th in New York City.

Cash will perform several of her favorite Lennon and Beatles classics during the concert, which will also include guests Marc Cohn, Jesse Colin Young (the Youngbloods), Willie Nile, Scott Sharrard and Mark Erelli.

Non-profit organization Theatre Within presented its first tribute event for the late musician as a neighborhood gathering at their studio shortly after Lennon was...

Join a Gathering of the Rock Gods for the Never Say Goodbye Red Carpet Premiere & DVD Release November 1st at The Moolah Theatre (3821 Lindell Blvd.) DJ Celebrities Red Carpet Limo Arrival begins at 6:15. At 7:00 pm Film Begins. After the film there will be a Q & A with Kshe Jocks & Musicians and a VIP Cocktail Event with a Meet and Greet. Ticket information can be found Here

A Facebook invite for this event can be found Here

This exclusive Premiere of Never Say Goodbye: The Kshe Documentary is expected to sell out in just days. After the premiere, the entire public theatre run is only 5 showings, so make sure you get tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime event! Order tickets now, before they sell out.

See the history of Kshe’s heyday, from its beginning in 1968 throughout the 1970’s and up to 1979. Hear never-before-heard stories from your favorite DJs: John Ulett,...

Ordinary World starts out with a flashback to a 1995 performance by L.E.S. Skunks, the fictional rock band once fronted by Perry Miller (Billie Joe Armstrong). So right from the very first frame, viewers are clued in to the fact that Armstrong — the longtime lead singer of Green Day — is riffing on his own persona and career. In fact, as the film contrasts its opening with Perry’s more laid-back current life, it’s almost like a glimpse into an alternate reality in which Armstrong’s own band had faded into obscurity soon after the 1994 release of breakthrough album Dookie instead of continuing to generate hits for another couple decades.

Despite the opening’s focus on Perry’s musical heyday, the bulk of the film follows Perry still adjusting to suburban life in New York City with his wife (Selma Blair) and two kids (the elder of whom is...

You know what’s sad? When a dude used to be a cool white male rock star, and now he’s just a dad. That’s the premise of Ordinary World, the trailer for which was released today. In a bit of meta-casting, Green Day’s Bille Joe Armstrong stars as Perry Miller, a maudlin former band member depressed that he now works at a hardware store and has responsibilities like taking care of a child. In a Sixteen Candles-esque twist, his wife and daughter have forgotten his 40th birthday, so he gets a fancy hotel room, trashes it, and then, presumably, learns a lesson about how family is super important. Selma Blair plays the spouse that won’t have sex with him, and Fred Armisen is his rabble-rousing friend.

Green Day completists should note that there is also new music from Armstrong interspersed throughout the film. Ordinary World...

Music and Sex: Scenes from a life - A novel in progress by Roman AkLeff (first installment can be read here; second here (the last paragraph of which was moved into this part).

After the show, Walter took Norman to the West End, where Norman marveled at the broad beer selection. As they slowly worked their way through a small percentage of the fifty-plus on offer, Walter lamented how inferior college was making him feel.

"Screw that," rejoined Norman. "Just have fun and keep learning and next year's freshmen will feel inferior to you. If you already knew everything, you wouldn't have to go to college in the first place. Don't tell me about that, tell me about all the cool stuff you've been doing."

"Well, during orientation there was a great band playing outside for free called So What. I know you're not that into fusion, but they were hot.