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Charity never sleeps Neil Young doesn’t want you to know this, but he’s got a heart of gold by G r e g Cahill
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n Jimmy McDonough’s insightful 2002 and money but, most important, he has helped Neil Young biography, Shakey, the iconic create conduits for others to do good. singer/songwriter didn’t mince words On Dec. 8, Young will perform a benefit when it came to those who write about him. concert to help build a new home for the “My biggest enemy is my own history,” UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital at MisYoung told McDonough sion Bay (south of AT&T in one colorful interview. Park), an organization “People compare me to recognized as one of the COMING SOON what I’ve done. Whenever leading children’s hospiNeil Young performs they start writing about tals in the world. Wednesday, Dec. 8, at the Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium, me, half of the f--kin’ reThe new facility will be 111 California St., S.F., with a view is about my life. Who part of a 289-bed intecocktail reception at 6:30pm gives a sh-t—if you’re grated hospital complex and the concert at 8:15pm. gonna read a Neil Young for children, women and Joanna Newsom will open review, you don’t need to cancer patients. Upon the show. Tickets are $250 know all the f--kin’ hiscompletion in 2014, it is (for ADA seating), $500, tory. What the hell’s the hoped that the 183-bed $1,000 and $2,500 and are f--kin’ deal...?” children’s hospital will available at www.theconThe deal, Neil, is that set a new world-class certforucsfbch.com. that is what we get paid standard for patient- and for. family-centered healthcare. But let’s talk about the The hospital already has P-word. programs designed specifically for young No, not potty mouth—philanthropy. patients, such as a 50-bed neonatal intensive Neil Young is one of rock ’n’ roll’s most giv- care nursery, recreational therapy for recovering souls. He has given generously of his time ing kids and 60 outreach clinics throughout
‘One more kid that’ll never go to school, never get to fall in love, never get to be cool’—not if Neil Young can help it.
Northern California, including Greenbrae. Of course, this type of charity is nothing new for the two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Over the years, he’s accumulated enough good karma to fill the trunk of a 1959 Lincoln Continental, just like the hybridized model that started the Nov. 9 fire at the San Carlos warehouse, which stored much of Young’s vintage cars, old guitars and assorted memorabilia.
The celebrated musician, McDonough pointed out, also is “a model-train mogul, actor, rancher and, although he’d probably be loath to admit it, a humanitarian.” In 1985, Young—an unapologetic supporter of Ronald Reagan—along with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp, co-founded Farm Aid, the nonprofit organization that assists family farmers and small-farm advocacy groups. The following year, Young and his wife, Pegi, founded the Bridge School Benefit Concerts series. The events, held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, raise money for the South Bay namesake that assists children with severe physical impairments and complex communication problems. He has helped raise funds and awareness for environmental causes and inner-city music programs as well as the need to increase access to low-cost AIDS drugs and support for AIDS orphans. His single “Let’s Roll” was a tribute to the victims of the 9/11 attacks. More recently, he convinced Tyson Foods to donate 50 tons of chicken to Gulf region food banks assisting families impacted by the BP oil spill. Earlier this year, Young was honored as Person of the Year by MusiCares, a nonprofit that helps provide medical and emergency financial assistance to musicians and others in the music industry. In Shakey, the late Texas singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt summed up Young’s charitable spirit this way: “I can read auras— pale green is trouble, boy. I know a lotta cats with green ones—most of them are dead. And there’s one that’s more golden, glowing, approaching fulfilled—that has fulfilled other people. Neil has that. Neil’s is gold. Gold.” ✹ Journey through the past with Greg at gcahill51@gmail.com. Tune up to the Marin music scene at
›› pacificsun.com/music DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2010 PACIFIC SUN 27