Jesse Colin Young, frontman of Youngbloods known for singing the band’s counterculture hit “Get Together,” has died. The singer-songwriter passed away at his home in Aiken, South Carolina on Sunday (March 16). The news was revealed by Young’s widow and manager, Connie Young. No cause of death was given. He was 83.
Jesse Colin Young was born Perry Miller in 1941 in New York City. He released two solo albums — 1964’s The Soul Of A City Boy and 1965’s Young Blood — before forming the Youngbloods with guitarist and folk singer Jerry Corbitt. Lowell “Banana” Levinger joined on guitar and electric piano and Joe Bauer on drums, and the group signed to RCA. Their debut, The Youngbloods, arrived in 1967 and contained their rendition of Quicksilver Messenger Service’s “Get Together.” The song achieved moderate success, only blowing up once it was used in a 1969 public service commercial for the National Council of Christians and Jews.
Their second LP Earth Music also arrived in 1967, followed by Elephant Mountain in 1969. In 1972, Young released the solo album Together, whose success caused the Youngbloods to disband. He shared a multitude of records, such as 1973’s Song For Juli, 1974’s Light Shine, 1975’s Songbird, 1977’s Love On The Wing, 1982’s The Perfect Stranger, 1987’s The Highway Is For Heroes, 1993’s Makin’ It Real, and 1994’s Swept Away, until his final one, 2019’s Dreamers.
