Bob Young, older brother to Neil, releases first song at 78

Bob Young spent much of his life forging a career as a prominent golfer, but at 78, Neil Young's brother has released his first song.

Ahead of the U.S. election on Nov. 3, the elder Young has unveiled Hey America, a folk song where he urges the nation to "give love a chance," saying it's "the beacon of freedom."

The song was recorded with a band he's dubbed "Young Bob & the Peterboroughs," whose members include Neil Young on harmonica as well as Mike Belitsky and Travis Good of Toronto band the Sadies playing drums and banjo.

Bob Young, a native of Omemee, Ont., outside of Peterborough, is no stranger to the music scene because of his brother, but he built his own name competing in high-profile golf tournaments.

In a statement, Young said he never set out to become a songwriter at this age, but was inspired to put words down after watching U.S. President Donald Trump on TV a couple of years ago.

At the encouragement of a few close friends and family, including his brother's wife, Daryl Hannah, and Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor, he decided to record the song.

The band also released a video for Hey America, which features a Canadian flag in the background as they perform together.

He says the footage was captured under COVID-19 precautions with some shots edited to make it appear as if Neil Young, who became a dual Canadian-U.S. citizen in January, was singing without a mask beside his bandmates.

This may not be the last song Bob Young releases, as he says he's penned other music "from the same creative spark."