Jeff Young
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Jeffrey "Jeff" Young (born March 31, 1962) is an American guitarist. He graduated from
Musicians Institute Musicians Institute (MI) is a private for-profit music school in Los Angeles, California. MI students can earn Certificates and – with transfer of coursework taken at Los Angeles City College – Associate of Arts Degrees, as well as Bachelor ...
in 1985, and is best known for his time with the
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...
band
Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
, appearing on the 1988 album '' So Far, So Good... So What!'' (Capitol Records). In 1998, Young co-wrote, produced and played on the world-fusion album ''
Chameleon Chameleons or chamaeleons (Family (biology), family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 200 species described as of June 2015. The members of this Family (biology), family are best known for ...
'' by Badi Assad. In addition to his subsequent music projects, he served as a writer for ''
Guitar for the Practicing Musician ''Guitar for the Practicing Musician'' was a guitar magazine published in the United States by Cherry Lane Music from 1982 to 1999. The magazine was published monthly. In 1992, it was the most popular music publication at newsstands, selling 74 ...
''.


Early life

Young was born in
Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...
. In 1980, he graduated from Fairmont High School in Kettering, Ohio, and moved to
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
to attend The Guitar Institute of Technology in 1984. He graduated from the Institute in 1985 and began his career as a guitar teacher.


Career


Megadeth

Newly hired Megadeth's guitarist Jay Reynolds (of Malice) had commissioned guitar teacher Young to play all of his solos on the new album, transcribe the previous Megadeth releases, and teach him everything in time for the pending tours. Reynolds was one of Young's guitar students. However, after witnessing Young decipher previous guitarist
Chris Poland Chris Poland (born December 1, 1957) is an American guitarist, best known as the former guitarist of the thrash metal band Megadeth. Since 2002, Poland has been the guitarist of the instrumental rock/jazz rock bands OHM and OHMphrey, among othe ...
's solos from '' Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?'' note-for-note in less than 30 minutes, frontman
Dave Mustaine David Scott Mustaine (born September 13, 1961) is an American musician. He is best known as the co-founder, frontman, primary songwriter and sole consistent member of the thrash metal band Megadeth and for his time as the lead guitarist of Met ...
decided instead to hire Young. Young joined the band with only two weeks left in the recording schedule and contributed half of the guitar solos and multiple electric and acoustic rhythm parts to the album. Young's career with Megadeth was spent recording and touring in support of their 1988 platinum selling album, '' So Far, So Good... So What!'' His first performance with the band appeared in '' The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years'' as a member of Megadeth. In 1989, Young was fired from Megadeth due to reportedly "contemplating putting the moves on Diana" (Mustaine's fiancé) Young said he told Mustaine that this was untrue but Mustaine fired him anyway.


Author and jazz & world fusion excursions

Following his time in Megadeth, Young wrote the cult-classic Fingerprints column in ''
Guitar for the Practicing Musician ''Guitar for the Practicing Musician'' was a guitar magazine published in the United States by Cherry Lane Music from 1982 to 1999. The magazine was published monthly. In 1992, it was the most popular music publication at newsstands, selling 74 ...
'' magazine. He also began intensive study of the blues with guitarist, Steve Hunter (Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper,
Jason Becker Jason Eli Becker (born July 22, 1969) is an American composer and former guitarist. At the age of 16, he became part of the Shrapnel Records-produced duo Cacophony with his friend Marty Friedman, and they released two albums, '' Speed Metal Sy ...
). For a portion of the 1990s, Young stepped away from his career to deal with the untimely deaths of first his father and later his mother while immersing himself in the further study of classical, flamenco, gypsy jazz and other world music varieties. In 1998, he resurfaced with new Brazilian musical partner and wife, Badi Assad. Together, the duo crafted exotic soundscapes for Verve/PolyGram records collaboration entitled, Badi Assad's ''Chameleon''. The album (co-written, arranged, and produced by Young), climbed to the top of the world music charts in Germany & Holland also topping JAZZIZ magazine's Readers Poll: "Best Brazilian Albums of the Year." Opening concerts for renowned artists including
Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances featuring expressive body movements. Most of his best-known singles, such as "Feelin' Alright ...
and
Cassandra Wilson Cassandra Wilson (born December 4, 1955) is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. She is one of the most successful female jazz singers and has been described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed wit ...
, as well as performances on 1999's
Lilith Fair Lilith Fair was a concert tour and travelling music festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride (CEO), Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during ...
and
Farm Aid Farm Aid is an annual benefit concert held for American farmers. History On July 13, 1985, before performing "When The Ship Comes In" with Keith Richards and Ron Wood at the Live Aid benefit concert for the 1983–1985 Ethiopian famine, B ...
2000, Young's association with the Assad family also spawned songwriting collaborations with guitar luminary
Sérgio Assad Sérgio Assad (born 26 December 1952) is a Brazilian guitarist, composer, and arranger who often performs with his brother, Odair, in the guitar duo ''Sérgio and Odair Assad'', commonly referred to as the ''Assad Brothers'' or ''Duo Assad''. Th ...
and two pieces on Badi's ''Verde'' album. In 2003, the track "Waves" from ''Chameleon'' was featured in the Michael and Kirk Douglas film '' It Runs in the Family'', as well as on the movie's soundtrack.


Equilibrium

In late-October 2009, his debut solo album, ''Equilibrium'', was released on CD worldwide, as well as cdbaby. Young began working on the album in 2000. Stylistically, the album features
flamenco Flamenco () is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the Gitanos, gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and Region of Murcia, ...
,
classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...
, 6 & 12 steel-string guitar styles as well as the
electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...
. ''Equilibrium'' features guest performances by Debby Holiday, Twinkle,
Gilli Moon Gilli Moon, is an Italian-born, Australian-raised, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, record producer. She is the co-founder and president of Songsalive!, a song writing organisation, and one of the co-producers of the Los Angeles Women's ...
, Lenine,
Matt Chamberlain Matthew Chamberlain (born April 17, 1967) is an American session drummer, record producer and songwriter. He has played with various artists, including Pearl Jam, Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, David Bowie, Tori Amos, Morrissey, The Wallflow ...
, Hilary Jones, Tony Franklin and
Viviana Guzman Viviana is a female given name, and may refer to: * ''Viviana'' (film), a 1916 American film * ''Viviana'' (telenovela), a 1978 Mexican telenovela * Saint Bibiana, or Viviana, 4th-century Roman martyr * Viviana (given name) See also * * Bibiana ...
.


Current projects

Young is the host of the Internet radio show Music Without Boundaries on the Spreaker broadcast network. Young is currently writing, producing & releasing solo, instrumental music on the High-Tone Eleven Records label. His first, all instrumental album, ''Revolutions'', is being released track by track with the singles, "Monsoon" – "In the Flesh" & "Slow Burn" available now via his official website & most digital distribution sources. ''Revolutions'' features performances from some of the world's top players: Tina Guo, Ric Fierrabracci, James LoMenzo,
Brian Tichy Brian Tichy ( ; born August 18, 1968) is an American musician, best known as having been the drummer for Whitesnake, Billy Idol, Foreigner, Sass Jordan, and Ozzy Osbourne. He was the drummer of Whitesnake from 2010 to 2013. His surname means ...
, Jeff Bowders & Shane Gaalaas. In 2022 Young reunited with former Megadeth bassist
David Ellefson David Ellefson is an American musician, best known for his long tenure as the bassist and backing vocalist for thrash metal band Megadeth across two stints. Ellefson initially became an accomplished bassist and honed his songwriting skills whi ...
to form Kings of Thrash in order to perform old Megadeth songs live. The band have so far completed tours in North America, Australia, the UK and Europe, with one live album released. Some shows have featured fellow former Megadeth guitarist
Chris Poland Chris Poland (born December 1, 1957) is an American guitarist, best known as the former guitarist of the thrash metal band Megadeth. Since 2002, Poland has been the guitarist of the instrumental rock/jazz rock bands OHM and OHMphrey, among othe ...
on a few songs.


Personal life

Young overcame
testicular cancer Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. Symptoms may include a lump in the testicle or swelling or pain in the scrotum. Treatment may result in infertility. Risk factors include an c ...
in 2006; he was treated by Dr. Lawrence Einhorn, the same physician who treated
Lance Armstrong Lance Edward Armstrong (''né'' Gunderson; born September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist. He achieved international fame for winning the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times fro ...
.


Discography

* 1988,
Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
– '' So Far, So Good... So What!''. * 1998, Badi Assad – ''Chameleon'' * 2003, '' It Runs in the Family'' (Soundtrack) * 2010, Jeff Young – ''Equilibrium'' (Solo) * 2013, Jeff Young – "Monsoon" (Solo single from ''Revolutions'' album) * 2020, Jeff Young – "In the Flesh" (Solo single from ''Revolutions'' album) * 2020, Jeff Young – "Slow Burn" (Solo single from ''Revolutions'' album)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Jeff American heavy metal guitarists Megadeth members Living people 1962 births Musicians from Ann Arbor, Michigan Musicians Institute alumni Guitarists from Michigan American male guitarists American people of English descent 20th-century American guitarists