Jesse Colin Young dead: Lead Singer of The Youngbloods and father of bassist Tristan Young, dies at 83

His publicist, Michael Jensen, confirmed the news to The New York Times on Monday. However, no cause of death has been specified.

Young first rose to fame in 1965 as the frontman of The Youngbloods, a proto-rock band that emerged from New York’s Greenwich Village. The group remained together for two decades before disbanding in 1985.

Among their biggest hits was the 1967 peace anthem “Get Together”, written by Dino Valenti (under the pseudonym Chet Powers). The song became a defining track of the era and was widely covered by bands such as Jefferson Airplane.

Their 1969 track “Darkness, Darkness”, a haunting departure from their usual upbeat style, became a cult favourite among musicians. Although it did not receive widespread recognition at the time, the song later gained critical acclaim, earning Robert Plant a Grammy nomination for Best Male Rock Performance in 2002. Over the years, it has been covered by Richie Havens, Mott the Hoople, Screaming Trees, and Anne Wilson, among others.

Following his time with The Youngbloods, Young launched a successful solo career, releasing albums such as Light Shine and Songbird, both of which broke into the Billboard Top 40 in the mid-1970s. His solo music blended acid rock, jazz, R&B, and folk influences.

In a 2016 interview, he said: "Love of the natural world is as much a theme in my music as romantic love. I get more out of walking over the ridgetop in Marin and looking out at the national seashore than any drugs I ever did."

Young is survived by his son, bassist Tristan Young, who collaborated with him on his final album, 2019’s Dreamers.