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Steve Young (July 12, 1942 – March 17, 2016)[1] was an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist, known for his song "Seven Bridges Road" (on Rock Salt & Nails & Seven Bridges Road). He was a pioneer of the country rock, Americana, and alternative country sounds, and he was also a vital force behind the outlaw movement.
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Born in Newnan, Georgia, United States,[2] he grew up in Texas and Gadsden, Alabama, moving from place to place as his family looked for work.[3] By the time he graduated high school, he was writing and playing songs that incorporated folk, blues, country, and gospel influences he absorbed while travelling throughout the South. In the late 1960s, he worked with Van Dyke Parks and was member of the psychedelic country band Stone Country.[2]
Young wrote many songs, including "Lonesome, On'ry and Mean" (covered by Waylon Jennings) and "Montgomery In the Rain" (covered by Hank Williams, Jr.).[2]
During the late 1970s, Young became a Buddhist and a vegetarian.[4]
His best-known composition is "Seven Bridges Road", which became a hit for Eagles after including a cover of it on their 1980 live album.[2] Earlier covers of the song were done by Joan Baez, Tracy Nelson & Mother Earth, Iain Matthews, Dolly Parton, and Rita Coolidge.[2]
In 1984, Young charted the single "It's Not Supposed to Be That Way" on RCA Records.[2] It peaked at No. 84 on Hot Country Songs.[5] In 1989, Young did a mini-tour in the Northwest with singer-songwriter Tim Otto, performing in Portland and Seattle. In 1991, Otto took the cover shot for Steve Young's Solo/Live CD on Watermelon Records. Townes Van Zandt wrote the liner notes. The 1996 concert recording by Van Dyke Parks entitled Moonlighting: Live at the Ash Grove (released in 1998) was headlined by Young, although he did not appear on the recordings.
In 1993, Young played a show in Lichtenvoorde, The Netherlands, with David Olney. This show then was recorded by SCR Productions. Olney's track were released on his Live in Holland album in 1994. In 2019, an album of Young's tracks was released, also titled Live in Holland. David Olney took care of the liner notes, and performed on a few tracks on harmonica.
Young suffered a head injury in an October 2015 fall and his health began to deteriorate. He died after a brief stay in a Nashville, Tennessee hospice, on March 17, 2016. He was 73.[6][7]
| Year | Album | Label | US Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Stone Country (with Stone Country) | RCA Victor | |
| 1969 | Rock Salt & Nails | A&M | |
| 1972 | Seven Bridges Road | Reprise | |
| 1975 | Honky Tonk Man | Mountain Railroad | |
| 1976 | Renegade Picker | RCA Victor | 48 |
| 1978 | No Place to Fall | RCA | |
| 1981 | To Satisfy You | Mill | |
| 1981 | Seven Bridges Road (1) | Rounder | |
| 1981 | Old Memories | Country Roads | |
| 1986 | Look Homeward Angel | Mill | |
| 1990 | Long Time Rider | VooDoo | |
| 1991 | Solo/Live | Watermelon | |
| 1993 | Switchblades of Love | Watermelon | |
| 1994 | Lonesome, On'ry & Mean 1968-1978 | Raven | |
| 1999 | Primal Young | Appleseed | |
| 2005 | Songlines Revisited - Volume One | Starry Pyramid | |
| 2007 | Stories Round the Horseshoe Bend | Starry Pyramid | |
| 2007 | Australian Tour EP 2007 | Death Valley Records | |
| 2017 | Live at The Studio Kafe, Santa Rosa, CA, July 10, 1990 | Kafe | |
| 2019 | Live in Holland 1993 | Strictly Country Records | |
(1) Differs from 1972 release in that one new track was added, some omitted and all other tracks were remixed.
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