Singer-songwriter Jesse Colin Young has died at the age of 83. With a career spanning decades, Young is best remembered for his time as the frontman of the rock band the Youngbloods.
According to reports, Jesse – whose real name was Perry Miller – passed away on Sunday at his home in the US, leaving behind his wife Connie Darden-Young and their four children. His death has sparked an outpouring of tributes for the musician, who not only enjoyed success with the Youngbloods but also had a notable solo career.
A statement released by his PR team said: “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 and roll, died in his home in Aiken, South Carolina yesterday afternoon.”
As a founding member of the Youngbloods, formed in 1965, Jesse alongside Jerry Corbitt, Lowell Levinger, and Joe Bauer rose to fame during the late 1960s. The band released several albums before disbanding in the early 1970s, including their self-titled debut in 1967 and Earth Music later that year.
(Image: Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Some of their notable singles include a cover of Chet Powers’ Get Together and Darkness, Darkness. After the Youngbloods split in 1972, Jesse Colin Young went back to his roots as a solo artist, reports the Mirror.
Before the band’s formation, he’d already dropped two albums, including his first solo venture, The Soul of a City Boy, back in 1964.
His third album, Together – his first solo release post-Youngbloods – hit the shelves in 1972. Jesse kept the tunes coming over the years, with Swept Away making waves in 1994.
It’s reported that Jesse took a step back from the limelight after a Lyme’s disease diagnosis in 2012. But the singer bounced back, hitting the stage again and even dropping the album Highway Troubadour in 2020.
Jesse had a blast from the past when he got the Youngbloods back together for a reunion tour in 1984, with some fresh faces in the mix. But the nostalgia was short-lived as they disbanded once more in 1985.
Fans have been flooding social media with tributes to Jesse in recent days. One fan posted on X: “Godspeed and farewell, Jesse Colin Young.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Another simply said following the news of his passing: “RIP Jesse Colin Young.”
One admirer remarked: “Rest in Power Jesse Colin Young. His soft tenor voice sold the song Get Together as the anthem for peace in the 1960s.”
To which someone replied: “Such a beautiful song. RIP Jesse” And yet another added: “Gorgeous song…gorgeous voice.”
One individual recently expressed their sentiments on the platform, writing: “RIP Jesse Colin Young of The Youngbloods. Their roots forever embedded from the sixties and heard in more modern artists today. Also had a great solo career.”
Another person shared in their post: “RIP Jesse Colin Young of The Youngbloods. I got to play his biggest hit with him, Get Together at the 38th Annual John Lennon Tribute a few years back. He was a joy to work with.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
