Pegi Young

Pegi Young was born Mary Margaret Martin, near San Francisco in 1952. In 1974 she met Neil Young while working as a waitress near his ranch. They married in 1978. The same year, they welcomed their son Ben, who was born with severe cerebral palsy. In 1987, she founded the Bridge School to serve children with major physical and speech impairments. To help fund the school, she produced an annual benefit music festival headlined by her husband. Beginning in 1986, the Bridge School benefit concerts have featured artists including David Bowie, Pearl Jam, and Metallica and raised millions for the school. In 2007, Young released her first of five albums. Although the records were praised, they did not have great commercial success. Young and her husband divorced in 2014 and the final Bridge School benefit occurred in 2016. She passed away in 2019 after a battle with cancer.