Jeff Watson
Nov 4 · 7 min read

Neil Fucking Young. By me.

Scene: Warner Bros Records, 2009. Our valiant digital marketing warrior sits down to his desk. He has just been chosen to work on Neil Young’s campaign. He is freaking out. It’s Neil Fucking Young for God’s sake.

There is a phone and a computer on his desk but it’s not a laptop because it’s 2009, so it’s one of those quasi-bulky flat screens. Ah technology. The phone rings:

“Hey this is Jeff.”

“Hi this is Neil.”

“Neil who?”

“Neil Young.”

Now at this moment I shall add that never ever ever ever in the history of music has an artist personally called an exec and not screamed at them. That’s the manager’s job anyway. SOOOOOOO when I heard the full name, I immediately thought “someone is fucking with me” and then replied:

“Who is this?”

“Neil Young”

Throughout my career, I’ve prided myself on not babbling to an artist when I meet them (although there was that amazing time I worked the Triumph the Insult Comic Dog record and met the genius Robert Smigel. I weirded him out I think. He actually slowly backed away. Don’t blame him). But suddenly the giant rusted gears in my head slowly creaked and turned and I realized this was NEIL FUCKING YOUNG.

I lost it. I couldn’t stop. I don’t remember what I said but it was about 45 seconds of basically this: ohmygod afterthegoldrushisthegreatestsongever andonthebeachisamasterpiece andIevenlikedTranseventhoughnoonegotit, ad infintum. He then interrupted me and said “Yeah anyway kid, I was calling about blah blah.” Total pro. Couldn’t believe it. Shut me down perfectly.

A few weeks after that, the marketing director for Neil (the brilliant Peter Standish) asked me if I wanted to meet Neil at the massive rehearsal space where CSN&Y were getting ready for their upcoming tour. I think I said something like “Are you fucking kidding me? DUH.” So off I went.

Imagine this: you are about ready to meet one of your biggest idols and then walk into a giant soundstage where Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young are all harmonizing a capella. It was breathtaking. Truly the most heavenly sound I’ll ever hear in my life (and I’ve harmonized with an Everly Brother! True story for another day. Patti Everly can attest. Miss you and Phil btw. Xo). I stood with my mouth agape and the late great Elliot Roberts who managed Neil his entire life turned to me and said “Kid? This is what it’s all about. Don’t ever forget it.” I never did and never will. Miss ya Elliot.

For a few years, I became one of the few people Neil would call from the label. It was insane. He would call me at nights and even on weekends to ask about social media. Once he called while I was in a movie and I dashed out because it’s him. To this day I have his name in my contacts as Neil Fucking Young, so when he would call, I’d laugh quietly to myself and pick up.

One thing (and really the only thing) I wanted to do was get him active on social media. As with many legendary artists, they are often reluctant to tweet or post because they don’t understand its power. It’s a generational thing and I get it. But every time we put out a Neil record (he’s extremely prolific) the various departments at the label would ask me for support on the socials and Neil really had no presence. He had a million “friends” but no content.

Peter and I worked on Neil to get him into the headspace to do it. It was seriously like the movie Inception where you had to get into Neil’s mind and convince him. CONVINCE NEIL YOUNG. HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH. But we did it. We did a lot of that. WBR was a great place to be because we believed in our artists. And I believed in Neil Young. To be entirely truthful, there was some video content I wasn’t tooooo crazy about it but when he asked my opinion (WTF??!!) I kinda said “It’s brilliant!” and smiled because he asked me what I thought. That’s wild.

I explained that it was a new way to reach fans with his messages and charities and vision. He immediately understood and jumped in headfirst with me. He began to call me and literally dictate the things he wanted posted. Even on Sunday night, he would call and I would quietly freak out that I’m talking to Neil Fucking Young.

Now here’s where the story takes a slight turn. As might know from my previous stories (all on Medium as @jeffwatson), I had a massive problem with alcohol at the office in 2009–2010 where WBR gave me a chance to go to rehab with full pay and health benefits or be fired. I chose wisely, and that story is on my Medium account. However, an unnamed exec decided to tell everyone including the managers I worked with that I was going to be “gone for 30 days,” which made everyone know that I was going to a rehab. Wasn’t the smartest move on his part and I was now terrified of being painted as an alcoholic in the industry. But as a very wise longtime WBR employee told me, “You’re not going to be the first guy in the music biz to go to rehab. Relax.” He was right. But still, people knew and I was outed. BUT, the family at WBR (you know who you are) were all there for me. When I came back, I was showered in love and support immediately. I miss that family. That’s what it was to me.

In September of 2012, Neil had just put out a new autobiography and was looking for opportunities to promote its release. I came up with an idea to do his first-ever worldwide Twitter chat, a concept that was not new but radical for Neil. Again, a few of us had to get into his head and gently prod him (although I learned very early on that all you have to do is support his vision. If you do, you’re in his camp for decades. If you don’t, he has no time for you. Nor should he. He’s Neil Fucking Young) but we were victorious.

Now this was especially thrilling for me because I set it up so I would read the questions as they came in at a well-publicized start time and then Neil would answer a few of them 3 feet from me. I would type his responses and it would rule.

We had to go back and forth on the venue and at the last minute it was decreed that it would be done at his working giant ranch in Marin, CA. I was working with my friend at Twitter on this, Tatiana Simonian, and she I and flew up that day and were driven by Neil’s limo guy (!!!) and taken to Heaven. The property was so mountainous and verdant and enormous that it was still 1 mile to the destination from the front. Again, this was a working ranch so cows actually crossed our paths as we drove through the collection of barns that dotted the hillside. I was basically doing the mental rosary as I pulled up because I was going to meet Neil Fucking Young in a moment.

The car pulled up and let us off to stand in front of a giant barn. It contained all of his classic guitars, amps, and cars. I wept. It was like hearing Aaron Copeland’s “Theme For The Common Man” for the first time. Or at least Van Halen 1 and 2. It was a cathedral. And sitting at a massive desk with monitors and speakers was Neil. We were 50 feet away standing in dirt and he glowed from the backlight. It was stunning. He said “Hey Jeff, let’s do this thing.” I walked up and sat next to him while I was having a heart attack as softly and respectfully as I could and pulled out my laptop.

The hour chat was unbelievable. Neil was hilarious and even took a great swipe and Bono and Axl. It got a good amount of press. It is still good to see that they noticed I was trying to get Neil into the modern digital age. Weird to think that, but it’s fun. You can read all about it at. https://diffuser.fm/neil-young-bono-jack-white-dave-grohl.

Now in this book, he wrote a quick paragraph about he wasn’t drinking or smoking weed. He doesn’t say too much about it but a fan caught it and asked about his new sobriety. Having had almost two years free from booze at that point, I was curious to get his take, so I flagged it. I asked him and he responded with a quick “yeah it’s cool. I like it.” Once the interview was over I closed my laptop, then threw out a trial balloon and said “That was great what you said about sobriety. I have two years myself.” He looked at me and immediately said “Oh I know all about you.”

My jaw fell to the floor. I turned white. “I’m sorry?”, I stuttered. “Yeah, I heard you had some trouble a few years back. Good to see you back on track.” He turned on his heel and went to his next meeting. I turned to his assistant who had appeared to move him along and said “Uhhh…what was that?” She responded, “Neil likes to know who he’s working with.”

So to sum up, Neil Fucking Young did RECON ON ME. What a crazy thing to realize. It shocks me even now just thinking about it. For a few years, I was in Neil’s brain somewhere. What a wonderful and strange place to be.

When my wife died in March of that next year, Neil sent me the most wonderful note that told me that it will all be ok if I just let go. He even quoted The Byrds. I lost the email years ago but am actually glad. It’s the kind of thing that should remain lost. It’s a memory in time that I will never forget.

And that’s why I love Neil Fucking Young. Oh — also, he took us to the Train Room. Any Neil fan will know what that means. It’s Vahalla for model train sets. Holy mother of God.

    Jeff Watson

    Written by

    I like Van Halen. Not the Hagar or Cherone days. Just Roth. You know it’s true.