Pegi Young
| Pegi Morton Young | |
|---|---|
Young in 1992.
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born |
December 1, 1952 San Mateo, California, United States |
| Genres | Folk rock, country music, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, educator |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, vibes |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Labels | Vapor/Warner Bros. |
| Associated acts | Neil Young, The Survivors |
| Website | www.pegiyoung.com |
Pegi Morton Young (born December 1, 1952) is an American singer-songwriter, environmentalist, educator and philanthropist. Until recently, she lived in Northern California with her ex-husband, Neil Young, with whom she has one step-son, Zeke Young, and two biological children, Ben Young and Amber Young. Pegi's debut as a singer came in 1983 when she was a member of The Pinkettes, the backing singers of Neil Young's Rock-a Billy Shocking Pinks tour. Later in 1994 she made her first nationwide TV appearance at the Academy Awards, singing backup on the song "Philadelphia," composed by her husband. In July 2014, Neil Young filed for divorce in California.
In 2000, Young joined her then husband on tour as a backup singer. In 2007, after recording songs in her home studio at the Broken Arrow Ranch, she released her self-titled debut album. Since then, she has created two additional albums, Foul Deeds (2010), and Bracing for Impact (2011), and has toured and performed with her band The Survivors, which includes Spooner Oldham on piano, Rick Rosas on bass, Kelvin Holly on guitar and drummer Phil Jones.
In 1986, Pegi Young founded the Bridge School, an educational program aimed at serving the needs of children with severe physical and speech impairments.
Young was inspired to create the school based on her experiences with her son Ben, who was born with cerebral palsy, a congenital condition which, for Ben, resulted in severe speech difficulties and motor impairment. Pegi and her ex-husband have said they searched for educational institutions tailored for children with physical and learning impairments like Ben’s, but were frustrated to find that none really existed.
Young founded the school with additional help from Jim Forderer, a fellow parent of a child with specialized educational needs, and Dr. Marilyn Buzolich. Pegi and Neil raised awareness for their newly founded school with their Bridge School Benefit Concert, which has continued annually to this day and has brought in musicians such as Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, Tony Bennett, Lucinda Williams, and Jack White. Since 1986, The Bridge School has continued to grow and evolve organically into an internationally recognized organization. Graduates from The Bridge School have often returned to their home school districts and continued their education once their rudimentary educational needs were met in the Bridge School’s more specialized setting.
...
Wikipedia