Neil Young: Biography, Movies & Photos — RecapFlicks
ActorComposerMusic Artist
Neil Young
Born November 12, 1945 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Neil Young is one of the most respected and prolific rock/folk guitarists of the late 20th century. Raised in Canada, he first became well-known as a guitarist and occasional vocalist for the band Buffalo Springfield. After the band's breakup, Young became a solo performer. However, he also has spent more than 30 years performing with the super-group Crosby Stills Nash & Young, as well as with the band Crazy Horse. He also recorded an album with the grunge band Pearl Jam in 1995. Besides his work as a musician, he has also been active in film. Young has produced and/or performed in such concert films as Rust Never Sleeps (1979), Year of the Horse (1997) and many more. He has also been involved with non-musical films, including Human Highway (1982) and Made in Heaven (1987).
Neil Young is one of the most respected and prolific rock/folk guitarists of the late 20th century. Raised in Canada, he first became well-known as a guitarist and occasional vocalist for the band Buffalo Springfield. After the band's breakup, Young became a solo performer. However, he also has spent more than 30 years performing with the super-group Crosby Stills Nash & Young, as well as with the band Crazy Horse. He also recorded an album with the grunge band Pearl Jam in 1995. Besides his work as a musician, he has also been active in film. Young has produced and/or performed in such concert films as Rust Never Sleeps (1979), Year of the Horse (1997) and many more. He has also been involved with non-musical films, including Human Highway (1982) and Made in Heaven (1987).
Filmography
82 titles
Known for
From2022
Fahrenheit 9/112004
Billions2016
Dead Man1995
Dark Matter2024
Poker Face2023
Ponies2026 · TV SeriesSoundtrack
7.1
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy2025 · Mini-SeriesSoundtrack
7.4
Anemone2025 · MovieSoundtrack
5.6
Dark Matter2024 · TV SeriesSoundtrack
7.6
The Beach Boys2024 · MovieSoundtrack
7.1
Devo2024 · Movieas Self - Musician, Filmmaker
7.6
Poker Face2023 · TV SeriesSoundtrack
7.7
Nyad2023 · MovieSoundtrack
7.1
Good Grief2023 · MovieThanks, Soundtrack
6.4
From2022 · TV SeriesSoundtrack
7.7
Photos
91 total
Showing 20 of 91 photos
Trivia
1He has two sons with cerebral palsy: Zeke Young, born by a relationship with actress Carrie Snodgress, and Ben Young (born 1978) (with Pegi Young née Morton). He also has one daughter: Amber Jean Young (born 1984), with Pegi.
2Refused a million-dollar offer to appear at "Woodstock '94" on the basis of what he saw as its overemphasis on commercialism.
3Has turned down every commercial endorsement he has been offered. He even wrote a song about his stance: "This Note's for You".
4Some of his best known songs include "Cinnamon Girl", "Down by the River", "Heart of Gold", "After the Gold Rush", "Hey Hey, My My" and "Rockin' in the Free World".
51995: In his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction speech, he thanked Kurt Cobain for inspiring him to renew his dedication to making music. Eddie Vedder, once the target of criticism by Cobain, introduced him.
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6In Spin magazine's list of the top 100 Alternative Albums in 1995, "Tonight's the Night" (1975) came in at #14, and "Rust Never Sleeps" (1979) came in at #61.
7The melody for his song "Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)" is taken from the Old English folk song "O Waly, Waly". He is known to close his concerts with this song.
8Guitarist and singer for the folk rock group Crosby Stills Nash & Young.
9In the mid-1960s, he played in a rock band called the Mynah Birds with future R&B artist Rick James and Bruce Palmer in Canada. James was AWOL from the United States Naval Reserves and hiding out from the authorities. Prior to the release of their debut single "It's My Time" (co-written by James and Young) on Motown's V.I.P. label, James was extradited and jailed. Young and James never worked together musically after this. However, Young and Palmer would go on to form Buffalo Springfield soon thereafter.
101997: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of Buffalo Springfield).
11Young, a lifelong devotee of model trains, read that Lionel Trains LLC, probably the most famous model-train manufacturer in the world, was going into bankruptcy and would probably have to shut down. Not wanting to see that happen, he invested his own money in the company, in which he is now a part-owner, and today the company is financially sound and thriving.
12
His songs "Southern Man" and "Alabama" were attacks on racism in the Southern United States. The songs were "answered" by Lynyrd Skynyrd with their song "Sweet Home Alabama" (which in turn was "answered" by Warren Zevon's song "Play It All Night Long"). Some have interpreted Young's "Walk On" as an answer on his turn, although others think it's more likely the lyrics in "Walk On" refer to Crosby Stills Nash & Young. After Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines of Lynyrd Skynyrd were killed in a plane crash (1977), Young performed a rare live version of "Alabama" at Bicentennial Park, Miami, Florida, on November 12, 1977, for Children's Hospital Charity with the Gone With the Wind Orchestra and he changed the lyric chorus from "Alabama" to "Sweet Home Alabama".
13Left Buffalo Springfield prior to their appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) in 1967. He was replaced for that gig, as well as their appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival, by his future bandmate in Crosby Stills Nash & Young, David Crosby.
14Raised in Omemee, Ontario. Scott Young Public School in Omemee is named after his father.
15He was voted the 34th Greatest Artist of all time in Rock 'n' Roll by Rolling Stone.
16Called Carrie Snodgress after he had seen her in the movie Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970). In "A Man Needs a Maid", he sings: "I fell in love with the actress / She was playing a part I could understand". The relationship lasted until 1975.
17April 2005: Hospitalized to remove a brain aneurysm.
181970: Wrote the song "Ohio" shortly after the infamous Kent State shootings.
19Wrote an infamous dark trilogy "Time Fades Away", "On the Beach" and "Tonight's the Night" after the death of friends of Danny Whitten and Bruce Berrett, although he has said that "On the Beach" has a positive message.
20His favorite albums of his own are "Trans", "Everybody's Rockin'" and "Tonight's the Night", in that order.
