Jesse Colin Young, Youngbloods Tenor, Passes Away
Jesse Colin Young, the tenor for the band Youngbloods, best known for their 1969 peace anthem “Get Together,” died on Sunday at his residence in Aiken, South Carolina. He was 83.
Announcement of Death
The singer-songwriter’s death was initially announced by his publicist, Michael Jensen, as reported by The New York Times on Monday.
“Get Together”: A Cultural Touchstone
Young sang the iconic chorus, “Come on people now / Smile on your brother / Everybody get together / Try to love one another right now,” a refrain described as one of the most recognizable of the 1960s.
His passing was later confirmed to Variety by his spouse, Connie Young; the cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Appearances in Film and Media
“Get Together” gained renewed popularity through its prominent inclusion in:
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- The Oscar-winning film Forrest Gump (1994)
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
- The Dish (2000)
- Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
The song was written by folk artist Dino Valenti, also known as Chet Powers, who had previously been a member of the band Quicksilver Messenger Service.
Jesse Colin Young, pictured in Los Angeles in 2019.
The singer-songwriter’s death was announced by his publicist Michael Jensen.
Additional Notable Works
Other notable songs composed by Young for The Youngbloods included “Darkness, Darkness” (1969), which addressed American soldiers in Vietnam, as well as “Sunlight” and “Ride the Wind.”
Tributes and Reflections
Following news of his death on Monday, numerous figures within the music industry paid tribute to the late vocalist.
“Known for Get Together, Darkness, Darkness, Sunlight, and more, his music carried messages of peace and unity that will live on for generations,” said Sirius XM host Eric Alper.
Publicist Danny Deraney stated, “Rest in Power Jesse Colin Young. His soft tenor voice sold the song Get Together as the anthem for peace in the 1960’s.”
Musician David Maida shared a photograph with the late vocalist, writing, “All the great ones are leaving us.”
He continued: “Rest In Peace my friend Jesse Colin Young of the Youngbloods. I will miss having coffee hanging backstage and hearing you perform with great impeccable talent! Thanks for the music.”
Young, who continued to perform as a solo artist, expressed that he never lost his enthusiasm for performing “Get Together.”
“To this day, it gives me a thrill to play it,” he said in a 2018 interview with The Arts Fuse.
Young discussed the song’s widespread presence in television, films, and advertisements, stating that he was consistently amazed by the track’s enduring popularity.
The singer-songwriter in a 1975 publicity shot.
Industry insiders shared their memories of the late vocalist.
The Song’s Legacy
He cited an instance where the tune was used in a Walmart commercial designed for Thanksgiving, which was released shortly after the racially divisive events in Charlottesville in August 2017.
He described the ad in which the song was played: ‘It was a big table in the middle of a field, and all these different kinds of people were bringing a chair to sit at the table.
‘I’ve only had it described to me, but it didn’t sound like they were selling anything. It was almost like a Thanksgiving…get together!
‘I’m thinking like, “Maybe the kids have taken over Walmart, or something,” because I was surprised at how perfect it was for the soul of that song, and to combat all of the ugliness and divisiveness of this time we’re living through.’
Nature and Music
In 2016, Young explained to Music Aficionado his preference for writing about the beauty of nature.
“Love of the natural world is as much a theme in my music as romantic love,” he stated. “I get more out of walking over the ridgetop in Marin and looking out at the national seashore than any drugs I ever did.”