Neil Young is a musician.
Neil Percival Young , ( born November 12 , 1945 ) , is a Canadian singer-songwriter , musician , producer , director and screenwriter . Young 's often distorted electric guitar work , deeply personal lyrics and signature tenor singing voice transcend his long career . Young also plays piano and harmonica on many albums which frequently combine folk , rock , blues and other musical styles . His gritty guitar work , especially with Crazy Horse , earned him the nickname `` Godfather of Grunge '' and led to his 1995 album Mirror Ball with Pearl Jam .