Neil Young Says Crazy Horse Will Return, ‘God Willing’

Neil Young’s Decision to Halt Crazy Horse Tour and His Plans for Future Shows

Renowned musician Neil Young, who has been rocking the music industry for over five decades, recently addressed the sudden cancellation of his Crazy Horse summer tour due to illness. In a Q&A session with his subscribers on his Neil Young Archives website, Young explained the circumstances surrounding the decision.

The Unexpected Illness

Young began by recalling the events that led to the cancellation of the tour. He revealed that a few band members, including himself, became severely sick. Without providing specific details, Young said that "a couple of us really hit a wall." He explained that his body simply wasn’t allowing him to perform anymore. "I just woke up one morning on the bus and I said, ‘I can’t do this; I gotta stop,’" he recalled. "I felt sick when I thought of going onstage. My body was telling me, ‘You gotta stop.’ And so I listened to my body."

The Impact of Illness on the Tour

Young further explained that his decision to cancel the tour was not taken lightly. "Then it gets into all the legal matters – ‘You got this, you got that, people bought tickets, they did this, they did that,’" he said. "I understand that. What matters to me is the art of playing and the music. … That’s what people loved. That’s what they come to see. … if that’s not there, my going isn’t happening. My body told me to not do it."

What’s Next for Neil Young?

Young has announced his return to the music scene, but it won’t be with his iconic band Crazy Horse. Instead, he will be performing at the upcoming Farm Aid event in Saratoga Springs, New York, on September 21. He plans to deliver a series of low-key shows around the same time, featuring acoustic sets and the occasional full-band performance. "They’re mostly theaters that I played before – little theaters. … I can play a little bit of acoustic and then have the band come out and play," he said.

The Future of Crazy Horse

Although Crazy Horse won’t be resuming their tour anytime soon, Young is optimistic about the band’s future. "Crazy Horse will be back, God willing," he said. "We did a good service to the name [during the shortened tour] and paid respect to what that was. But when it got to the point where we had done it, and now we were doing it again, that’s why I stopped. That can’t be controlled. You can’t tell when that’s going to happen. I’m sorry to all the people who bought tickets who couldn’t go, but I listened to my body."

Neil Young on the Future of Rock Music

In an unrelated topic, Young spoke about his take on the current state of rock music. He shared his thoughts on how he is often misunderstood as an artist, adding that he is willing to continue challenging the norms and pushing boundaries. "He’s one of rock’s most brilliant, confounding, defiant and frustrating artists," Young said, when asked about his approach to music.