Neil Young To Divorce Wife Of Almost Four Decades

Legendary rocker Neil Young has filed for divorce from his wife of 36 years, Pegi Young. EntertainmentWise reports the 68-year-old singer filed a petition for dissolution of marriage on July 29 in San Mateo, California, and a hearing is now set for December 12.

The announcement of Neil Young filing for divorce sent shock waves through the entertainment world as the couple always seemed happily married for almost four decades. Pegi and Neil Young have two grown children together, Ben – who has cerebral palsy – and Amber Young.

Throughout the years, Neil has written more than one song about his love for Pegi, a former waitress. Young reportedly penned the 1992 song Unknown Legend about the couples first meeting near Neil’s California ranch. According to Rolling Stone, Pegi also inspired Once an Angel and Such a Woman. Over the years, Pegi has added her voice to many of Young’s live shows, including his performance at the 1994 Oscars.

Additionally, Pegi Young has released three albums of her own since 2007, with Neil playing guitar in the background on several songs. Pegi released a self-titled album in 2007, Foul Deeds in 2010 and Bracing for Impact in 2011.

Neil Young recently wrapped up a Crazy Horse tour in Europe. Experts are saying that onlookers should have been aware something was amiss in the Young marriage when Pegi was removed from a Farm-Aid Benefit in North Carolina that’s scheduled for September 13.

Neil Young’s career took off in 1966 when he, Bruce Palmer, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Dewey Martin joined forces to create Buffalo Springfield, a country, folk, psychedelic rock band. Buffalo Springfield broke up in 1968 and Neil went solo, using three friends, Danny Whitten, Billy Talbot and Ralph Molina, as backup. Together, they would become known as Neil Young and Crazy Horse – a band name Young still tours under to this day.

In 1969, Neil was offered a sideline gig with the popular trio, Crosby, Stills and Nash. Young agreed to join them, but only if he received full credit. After that, the band was known as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. The addition of Neil Young brought the band to its most fruitful, creative and successful period.

Through the years, Neil Young has remained relevant by keeping up with the times. Though he had some serious image missteps in the late seventies and early eighties (thin ties anyone?), Young caught up with himself in the late eighties, returning to his rock roots and using distortion. He released Freedom in 1989. Its seminal track, Rockin’ in the Free World, was a mega-hit, and the album’s hard take on American politics struck a chord with the disenfranchised across the country.

image via Rolling Stone