# Astrid Young

Vendela Astrid Young (born August 16, 1962) is a Canadian musician, artist, author and sommelier. She is the daughter of journalist, sportswriter, and novelist Scott Young and his second wife Astrid Carlson, and the half-sister of fellow musician Neil Young.

## Musical career

After her stint with the band Ohm & the Secret Sources in Canada, Young moved to Los Angeles in the mid '80s, we're she joined the glam metal band Sacred Child as lead vocalist. The 90s saw the release of her first solo album Brainflower in 1995, followed by Matinee in 2002, and Night at Giant Rock in 2014 and collaborations in the 90s with bands such as Blackthorne and Dramarama She was lead vocalist and bassists for the rock band iST's on their album Pokalolo Paniolo in the early 2000s.
Young has collaborated with her brother (Neil Young) over many decades, including on the albums Unplugged, Road Rock Vol. 1 the Grammy-nominated Harvest Moon and Are You Passionate? while performing live together around the world.
As a session musician, Young has appeared on a multitude of albums, collaborating, co-writing and performing with many iconic musicians, including Johnny Cash, Nancy Wilson, Bernie Taupin, Nicolette Larson, Lisa Dalbello, Martin Page, West Arkeen, Graham Bonnet, Gerry Goffin, and her husband Ray Farrugia a founding member of the Canadian rock bands Junkhouse and Lee Harvey Osmond.

### Selective discography

The following is a listing of Astrid Young's most recognized recordings.
| Year | Artist | Title | Record Label | Nature of Appearance |
| 1984 | Ohm and the Secret Sources | Exit from a Dream | Ohm Records | Bass & Background Vocals |
| 1986 | Sacred Child | Sacred Child | Target Records | Lead Vocals |
| 1989 | Sacred Child | Sacred Child (re-release) | CBS/Black Dragon | Lead Vocals |
| 1994 | Blackthorne | Afterlife | CMC International | Background Vocals |
| 1992 | Neil Young | Harvest Moon | Reprise Records | Background Vocals |
| 1993 | Ben Keith | Seven Gates | Reprise Records | Background Vocals |
| 1993 | Dramarama | Hi-Fi Sci-Fi | Chameleon | Background Vocals |
| 1993 | Neil Young | Unplugged | Reprise Records | Background Vocals |
| 1993 | Neil Young | Event of the Season | n/a (bootleg) | Background Vocals |
| 1995 | Astrid Young | Brainflower | Independent | Lead Vocals, Keyboards |
| 1995 | Nancy Wilson | Live at McCabe's | Epic Records | Background Vocals |
| 1996 | Scott Joss | Souvenirs | Little Dog Records | Background Vocals |
| 1997 | Shrubbers | National Boulevard | Independent | Background Vocals |
| 1997 | Sacred Child | Sacred Child | Must Have Records | Lead Vocals |
| 2000 | Neil Young | Road Rock Vol. 1 | Reprise Records | Background Vocals |
| 2002 | iST | Pokalolo Paniolo | War of the Gargantuas/Inbetweens | Lead Vocals & Bass |
| 2002 | Neil Young | Are You Passionate? | Reprise Records | Background Vocals |
| 2002 | Astrid Young | Matinee | Inbetweens Records | Acoustic Guitar & Lead Vocals |
| 2003 | Ad Vanderveen | The Moment That Matters | Blue Rose | Background Vocals |
| 2003 | Rebecca Trujillo | Munda | Munda Music | Keyboards |
| 2003 | Various Artists | Spiders from Venus | Skipping Discs | performed a cover of David Bowie's song "Modern Love" |
| 2013 | Lee Harvey Osmond | The Folk Sinner | Latent Recordings | Vocals |
| 2014 | Astrid Young | One Night at Giant Rock | War of the Gargantuas/W.O.T.G. Omnimedia | solo album/vocals/bass/guitar/production |

### Videos

* Neil Young & Crazy Horse: The Complex Sessions (1995)
* Neil Young MTV Unplugged (1993)
* Neil Young: Friends and Relatives – Red Rocks Live (2000)

## Other ventures

Aside from touring and recording, Young is a certified sommelier amassing award-winning wine collections and has served as a wine judge. Young has been a "director of wine" for numerous establishments near her homesteads in Toronto and Picton, Ontario, the latter is where she maintains her art gallery. Young both wrote and starred in a short film titled Haunted in 2001. This was followed in 2007 by a best-selling memoir titled Being Young - Scott, Neil and Me about Young's childhood, her relationship with her father, brother and her own singer-songwriter career and journey to become an internationally recognized sommelier.