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Timeline : Neil Young

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June 29, 1928

The Winterland Ballroom opens in San Francisco, California. It's an ice-skating rink that can be converted into a general entertainment venue for opera, boxing, and other events, costing a whopping (for 1928) $1 million to build. It will go on to become a concert location for many famous acts, including The Sex Pistols, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Peter Frampton, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, and Pink Floyd.

May 8, 1943

Danny Whitten, guitarist in Neil Young's band Crazy Horse, is born in Columbus, Georgia. The song "The Needle And The Damage Done" is about Whitten, who dies of a drug overdose at 29.

November 12, 1945

Neil Young is born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is raised in the small, rural town of Omemee, Ontario, where the Youngtown Museum will be established in his honor.

September 19, 1951

Record producer/musician Daniel Lanois is born in Hull, Quebec. Produced albums for an array of artists, including Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Neil Young, and Emmylou Harris, and for bands like U2 (notably The Joshua Tree).

January 31, 1963

Neil Young, 17, plays his first show, performing at a country club in Winnipeg.

July 23, 1963

Canadian high school student Neil Young and his band, the Squires, visit a Winnipeg studio to record their first single, a surf instrumental called "The Sultan."

November 12, 1964

On his 19th birthday, Neil Young writes "Sugar Mountain," where he reflects on his fleeting youth ("You can't be 20 on Sugar Mountain").

March 3, 1966

Buffalo Springfield is formed (as "The Herd") by Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay.

March 20, 1968

Eric Clapton jams with Buffalo Springfield members Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Jim Messina and Richie Furay at the Topanga Canyon home of Stills' girlfriend. Neighbors call the cops, and all but Stills (who escapes through a window) are charged with suspicion of marijuana use. Clapton beats the rap; Young, Messina and Furay are found guilty and fined.

November 12, 1968

Neil Young releases his self-titled debut solo album, featuring one of his most enduring songs, "The Loner." More

January 18, 1969

Neil Young records "Cowgirl in the Sand."

May 1, 1969

Neil Young releases his second solo album, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, which features favorites "Cowgirl in the Sand," "Cinnamon Girl," and "Down by the River."

August 16, 1969

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young perform together for the first time, playing two shows at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. Their next gig comes two days later when they take the stage at Woodstock.

March 7, 1970

Neil Young and Crazy Horse record "Come on Baby Let's Go Downtown" at the Fillmore East in New York City. Featuring Horse guitarist Danny Whitten on vocals, the song is later included on Tonight's the Night, the album inspired by his death.

May 16, 1970

Randy Bachman leaves The Guess Who to produce an album for Winnipeg band Brave Belt, which he eventually joins. At the suggestion of Neil Young, Bachman recruits fellow Winnipeg bassist and vocalist C.F. Turner, and the band Bachman-Turner Overdrive is born.

May 4, 1970

Later memorialized in the Neil Young song "Ohio," the Ohio National Guard fires on protesters at Kent State University, killing four students, two of whom weren't even protesting. This shameful event in American history leads to the formation of Devo, as Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale are both on campus and horrified by the events.More

January 30, 1971

Neil Young performs "The Needle and the Damage Done" at UCLA's Royce Hall. The song is recorded and released on the Harvest album a year later.

February 18, 1972

Neil Young's album Harvest is certified Gold.

February 1, 1972

Neil Young releases the album Harvest, with the hit "Heart of Gold."More

March 18, 1972

Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold," with backing vocals by James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, goes to #1 in the US.More

March 11, 1972

Neil Young's album Harvest hits #1 in America, supplanting Don McLean's American Pie, which has been on top for seven weeks.

September 8, 1972

Neil Young's girlfriend, the actress Carrie Snodgrass, gives birth to his first child, a son Zeke, who has cerebral palsy. His next child, Ben, also has the condition.

January 4, 1973

Neil Young kicks off his Time Fades Away tour in Madison, Wisconsin with Linda Ronstadt his opening act. Ronstadt is used to playing clubs, but wins over crowds at arenas throughout the tour with her mighty pipes. The following year, she releases her breakthrough album Heart Like A Wheel.

March 28, 1973

Neil Young performs "Don't Be Denied" at the Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona. A few months later a recording of the performance appears on Time Fades Away.

March 1, 1973

Neil Young performs "L.A." at the Myriad in Okalhoma City. A few months later a recording of the performance is included on Time Fades Away.

April 18, 1973

The Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young documentary Journey Through The Past, directed by Neil Young, debuts at the Dallas Film Festival.

August 26, 1973

Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers record "Mellow My Mind," "Speakin' Out," "World on a String," "Tired Eyes," and "Tonight's the Night." All five recordings are included on the final cut of Tonight's the Night.

October 15, 1973

Neil Young releases the live album Time Fades Away.

February 14, 1974

At the Forum in Los Angeles, Ringo Starr, Neil Young and Warren Beatty are in attendance for the last stop on Bob Dylan's tour with The Band.

June 20, 1975

Neil Young releases his 6th studio album, Tonight's the Night. A raw outpouring of emotion inspired by the drug-related deaths of Young's friends, it's initially considered too rough for mainstream release but ends up being one of the iconic albums of the decade.

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