Hi, I am Mike from Ventura, California. I have been a fan of Neil Young since junior year in high school. The first concert was a blast. My friend from 1st grade drove his mom’s ‘59 Cadillac with the taillights in the rear wings. His family was very Mormon, so it took a little work to talk him into letting us light just one. As soon as we got the okay, we lit three! We had already taken our medicine for the show. The concert was in Long Beach on the Time Fades Away Tour on March 24, 1973. Linda Ronstadt opened and David Crosby and Graham Nash joined.
The Crazy Horse concert in San Diego on April 25, 2024, was so special and had me crying through many songs because that was the first time I was able to leave the house in more than 3 years. I was constantly caring for my wife of 41 years. Annie had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I worked as hard as possible to be sure we made the best decisions possible. She died while I was holding her hand. I am still crying. We were so much more than just having a long marriage. She loved me more than anything, and the same from me to her.
Neil’s music was always a part of our life. She also loved Bob Dylan and Jerry Garcia but had not been to the many shows I attended before we met. Music is now keeping me going and helping me avoid those very dark places one can go when losing your life-long companion and your reason for living. I am not able to picture my future, so I am going to concerts. Tonight I am going to see Gilmour and will also see him tomorrow night. I am going with the lady who cleaned and cooked for us while I was helping my wife. Annie was truly amazing. She was able to put this disease in a box and put it on a shelf. Annie and I enjoyed each other’s company to the very end. I have no regrets. My love for her remains strong. My life is a bit of a roller coaster right now. We all have challenges in life and all deal with them differently. I listen to Neil Young. My sister and I have been to 3 or 4 concerts together, with the last one at the Buffalo Springfield reunion concert in Santa Barbara in June 2011. I know this is rambling and not in any order, but I am writing from my heart.
Annie and Mike Hollins