(Credits: Far Out / Alamy)
Mon 9 February 2026 17:00, UK
As many veterans of music will understand, grief and loss are natural parts of the game. Neil Young likely knows this better than anybody from witnessing many legends come and go over the years.
Young has also seen how reputations often shift once someone passes away, once they’re no longer around to actually appreciate the fresh surge of adoration and appreciation. It’s a strange occurrence, but one that makes complete sense when looking at the psychology of grief and how we naturally see things in a different light when they’re no longer there.
Across his life and career, Young has witnessed the loss of several peers, many of them became even more famous in death: Jeff Buckley, Kurt Cobain, Ian Curtis, the list goes on. However, he is also experienced in the other facet of loss – the part where you feel someone’s presence even greater when they’re gone.
Young wasn’t that close to Tom Petty while he was alive, but they did appreciate and admire each other greatly, especially when it came to risk-taking and observing each other’s knack for prioritising artistic expression over commercial expectations. A good example of this was when Young drew backlash for his 1983 album Trans, which people criticised for being too sharp a pivot away from his folk roots.
Petty, however, rushed to defend his musical comrade, describing it as “fabulous” and something he plays “every day”. He even went so far as to say he enjoys it whenever he witnesses musicians pissing people off, because it often means they’re doing something right. That Young could also be around for as long as he has and still “keep you thinking” was also something that Petty adored about him.
When Petty passed away, Young saw him in a new light. He always appreciated the musician, but his death understandably invited a lot of reflection about his legacy and all the ways he transformed the landscape of music for the better. In fact, after he passed, Young admitted that he felt his presence even more, and that he often found himself driving past his home, pointing out, “That’s Tom’s gate” as he passed by, and embracing the mark he left on him during his time, a mark that “goes deeper with age”.
He also directly addressed the late musician in a statement paying tribute to his last show, telling him that it left everybody buzzing about the “happiness” you could feel among Petty and his band on stage. “These chords are still ringing around the world,” he wrote, alluding to Petty’s lasting impact, and describing him as a “tremendous contribution to music” that people “will hold in their hearts forever when they hear you everywhere”.
Young’s only regret was not getting to know Petty better, a justified response, considering that the pair would have likely gotten on like a house on fire had they ever collaborated or bonded deeper over their shared love for great music. Petty also previously expressed his love for Young’s views on modern technology and praised Young’s PonoPlayer, making it clear that they’d have a lot of mutual opinions on a topic that Young remains passionate about to this day.
However, as Young knows, that is also one of the biggest perils of grief – once someone is no longer around, you appreciate them even more, and are left with the constant what ifs about the things that you could have done differently, had you gotten more time.