Jesse Colin Young in Berkeley in August 1975. Photo:

Ed Perlstein/Redferns/Getty

Jesse Colin Young of the classic rock band the Youngbloods has died. He was 83.

A representative for the guitarist confirmed the news of his death on Sunday, March 16, with PEOPLE.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce music legend Jesse Colin Young, who left a unique mark on the intersecting worlds of folk, blues, jazz, country, and rock & roll, died in his home in Aiken, South Carolina yesterday afternoon,” the statement read.

“As the frontman of The Youngbloods, he immortalized the ideals of the Woodstock generation with ‘Get Together,’ an international hit that called for peace and brotherhood during the turbulent 1960s.”

After the 1960s, Young grew his “audience and his artistic range.” He released several solo albums that “mixed socially conscious lyrics with top-tier guitar skills and gorgeous vocals.”

Joe Bauer, Jesse Colin Young, Jerry Corbitt and Lowell ‘Banana’ Levinger in 1968. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

“An acclaimed songwriter, singer, instrumentalist, producer, label owner, podcast host, and longtime social/environmental activist, he has established a permanent place in America’s musical landscape,” the statement concluded, “while continuing to make modern music that’s every bit as vital as his work during the counterculture era.”

Young was born Perry Miller in Queens, New York in 1941, per The New York Times. He studied classical guitar at the Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass. He later enrolled at Ohio University, expanding his musical taste by living by a record store while attending.

Young then transferred to New York University and became obsessed with the music scene the city had to offer, eventually leaving the school. He released two solo albums, The Soul of a City Boy and Young Blood, in 1964 and 1965, respectively.

He then met guitarist Jerry Corbitt in Cambridge, Mass. With pianist-guitarist Lowell Levinger and Joe Bauer on the drums, they formed the Youngbloods, performing at Greenwich Village’s Cafe Au Go Go.

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Perhaps the song that the band was best known for was “Get Together,” which was actually written by Dino Valenti under the name Chet Powers.

When Young first heard “Get Together” while rehearsing at Cafe Au Go Go, it “stopped me in my tracks,” he told NPR in 2019. ” ‘Love is but a song we sing / Fear’s the way we die.’ Wow — the human condition in two lines,” he said of the lyrics.

The Youngbloods released their version in 1967 from their eponymous album, which was initially a sleeper hit. It became an international success in 1969 when it was part of a public service announcement for the National Council of Christians and Jews in 1969, per The Hollywood Reporter.

“Get Together” ultimately became the soundtrack for the end of the Woodstock era, calling for peace.

Jesse Colin Young in Los Angeles in June 2019. Alison Buck/WireImage

“Every night I sing it, it’s my favorite part of the show because the people sing,” Young told NPR.

“I played it in Central Park this past summer, and that was on the first anniversary of Charlottesville. Those people sang it stronger than I’ve ever heard it sung. Some people were pumping their fists, and I realized they were saying, ‘We choose love.’ “

After the band broke up in 1972, Young became involved with environment and social activism and would later release several solo albums of his own. Some of his best-known songs include “Four in the Morning,” “Sunlight,” “Darkness, Darkness,” “Quicksand” and “Peace Song.”

Young’s most recent album, Dreamers, was released in 2019 with the help of bassist Tristan Young, his son.