Pegi Young has died at the age of 66 following a battle with cancer. Young’s death on January 1 was confirmed by messages posted to her official social media accounts.
Born Margaret Morton on December 1, 1952 in San Mateo, California, she was living in a teepee in northern California and working at a restaurant in 1974 when she met Neil Young. Pegi Young was married to Neil Young for 36 years prior to their divorce in 2014.
Pegi Young sang backup with Neil at the Academy Awards in 1994 and toured with him in the early-2000s. Pegi issued her self-titled debut album in 2007. Subsequent releases included 2010’s Foul Deeds, 2011’s Bracing For Impact, 2014’s Lonely In A Crowded Room and 2017’s Raw. Pegi Young was often backed by The Survivors led by renowned keyboardist Spooner Oldham.
Pegi co-founded northern California’s Bridge School for severely disabled children in 1986. She was motivated to improve the quality of life for her and Neil’s son Ben who was born with cerebral palsy. The Bridge School Benefit concerts were held at Shoreline Amphitheatre each year between 1986 and 2016 featuring many memorable performances by an all-star cast of legendary musicians who participated over the 30 years.
