Nils Lofgren

Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.

Lofgren attended his local public high school, Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Maryland, although he did not graduate, dropping out in 1968 at age 17 to pursue a career in music.

In 1968, Lofgren formed the band Grin with bassist George Daly (later replaced by Bob Gordon), and drummer Bob Berberich, former players in the DC band The Hangmen.

The group played in venues throughout the Washington, D.C., area.

Lofgren met Neil Young while Young was performing at the Georgetown club The Cellar Door, and began a long association.

Young invited Lofgren to come to California and the Grin trio (Lofgren, Daly and Berberich) drove out west and lived for some months at a home Neil Young rented in Laurel Canyon.

He has also been a recurring member of Crazy Horse (1970–1971; 2018–present), appearing on their 1971 LP and contributing songs to their catalogue.

He achieved progressive rock radio hits in the mid-1970s with "Back It Up", "Keith Don't Go" and "I Came to Dance".

Throughout the 1970s, Lofgren released solo albums and toured extensively with a backing band that usually included brother Tom on rhythm guitar.

Lofgren's concerts displayed his reputation for theatrics, such as playing guitar while doing flips on a trampoline.

Lofgren would eventually use his album credits from working with Young to land Grin a record deal in 1971.

Daly left the band early on to become a Columbia Records A&R Executive and was replaced by bassist Bob Gordon, who remained through the release of four critically acclaimed albums of catchy hard rock from 1971 to 1974, with guitar as Lofgren's primary instrument.

The single "White Lies" got heavy airplay on Washington, D.C.-area radio.

Lofgren wrote the majority of the group's songs, and often shared vocal duties with other members of the band (primarily drummer Bob Berberich).

After the second album he added brother Tom Lofgren as a rhythm guitarist.

Grin failed to hit the big time, and were released by their record company.

Lofgren joined Neil Young at age 19 to play piano and guitar on the album After the Gold Rush.

Lofgren maintained his musical relationship with Young, appearing as a part of the Santa Monica Flyers on Young's Tonight's the Night album and tour, and again on the Trans album and tour.

In 1971, he appeared on stage on the Roy Buchanan Special, PBS TV, with Bill Graham.

In 1973, he appeared with Grin on NBC on Midnight Special, performing three songs live.

After Grin disbanded in 1974, Lofgren released his self-titled debut solo album which was a success with critics; a 1975 Rolling Stone review by Jon Landau labeled it one of the finest rock albums of the year, and NME ranked it fifth on its list of albums of the year.

Subsequent albums did not always garner critical favor, although Cry Tough was voted number 10 in the 1976 NME Album round up; I Came to Dance in particular received a scathing review in the New Rolling Stone Record Guide.

His song "Bullets Fever", about the 1978 NBA champion Washington Bullets, would become a favorite in the Washington area.

In 1978, he wrote and sang the "Nobody Bothers Me" theme for a D.C. Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do advertisement, and also appeared in the ill-received Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie.

Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a member of Crazy Horse, and founder/frontman of the band Grin.

He had been a competitive gymnast in high school, a skill that was used on stage later in his performing career and reflected in the name of his 1985 album, Flip.

Lofgren appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, to promote his 1985 solo release Flip.

Lofgren is credited on two of Lou Gramm's (of Foreigner) solo albums: Ready or Not released in 1987 (Lofgren listed as lead guitarist) and Long Hard Look released in 1989 (Lofgren listed as one of the guitarists).

In 1987, he contributed the television show theme arrangement for Hunter.

From 1991 to 1995, he was the CableAce Awards musical director and composer.

Lofgren continues to record and to tour as a solo act, with Patti Scialfa, with Neil Young, and as a two-time member of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band.

In 1993 he contributed to The Simpsons, with two Christmas jingles with Bart.

In 1995, he appeared on a PBS tribute to the Beatles along with Dr. John.

Lofgren was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band in 2014.

Lofgren was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, to an Italian mother and a Swedish father.

When he was a young child, the family moved to the Washington, D.C., suburb of Bethesda, Maryland.

Lofgren's first instrument was classical accordion, beginning at age five, which he studied seriously for ten years.

After studying classical music and jazz, throughout his youth, Lofgren switched his emphasis to rock music, and focused on the piano and the guitar.

In 2018, Lofgren re-joined Crazy Horse and along with the band performed on Young's 2019 album Colorado and 2021's Barn.

In 2023, Neil Young along with the members of Crazy Horse released the album All Roads Lead Home under the band name Molina, Talbot, Lofgren and Young.