Neil Young Files For Divorce From Pegi Young After 36 Years Of Marriage
Neil Young has filed for divorce from wife Pegi Young after more than 36 years of marriage.
The 68-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter and musician filed his petition for dissolution of marriage July 29 in Superior Court of San Mateo County, the Rolling Stone first reported. A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 12.
Neil first met Pegi at a diner near his California ranch, where the latter worked as a waitress in 1974.
The two then tied the knot in 1977, E! News reported.
Pegi, now 61, started serving as Neil's background singer in the 1990s. Since then, the soon to be exes shared the stage in various tours over the past 20 years. They last performed together at the Bridge School Benefit in October last year.
Neil and Pegi have two grown children together, daughter Amber Jean and son Ben, who suffers from cerebral palsy.
Inspired by the lack of educational opportunities for Ben, the two co-founded the non-profit Bridge School in 1986, which provides education to children with severe physical impairments. They raise funds for it through the Bridge School Benefit Concert being held annually in Mountain View, Calif. with a rotating cast of fellow major artists. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Arcade Fire performed at the show last year, along with Neil and Pegi.
In an interview with the Daily Mail in 2007, Pegi talked about Neil and their relationship.
"He's creative, funny, smart, and I still find him fascinating. Yes, he has his moments when things can be tricky, but I do too. I think the secret of a good relationship is to stay alert and never to stop making it special and meaningful," she told the British newspaper, profiling her on the release of her first album.
Neil had also talked about Pegi in his interviews in the past.
"She's a great woman and my life [as a musician] has worked largely because she's so understanding of that. She's intelligent and a hell of a lot of fun. You've got to have that stimulation in a relationship. I've got a lot of work to do just to keep up with her," he told The Guardian in 2006, according to National Post.