There's no way to know how many of the songs honored at last Sunday's Grammys will achieve airplay immortality amidst the onslaught of ever-newer tunes and ever-younger stars. But it's a good bet that one of the most enduring choruses heard during the entire ceremony was "Get Together," the gorgeously indelible peace/love anthem by the 1960s group The Youngbloods — which actually aired during a commercial.

The man who sang that song, Jesse Colin Young, has likewise enjoyed a long and successful post-Youngbloods solo career on such albums as "Song for Juli," "Lightshine" and "Swept Away." Tunes from those recordings would include "Sunlight," "Ridgetop," "Miss Hesitation," "Darkness, Darkness," "Morning Song," "T-Bone Shuffle" and "Grey Day" — and Ann Wilson, Three Dog Night, Johnny Winter, Mott the Hoople, Robert Plant, the Steve Miller Band, Golden Earring, Richie Havens and Pure Prairie League are just some of the stylistically varied artists who've covered Young's songs.

Fans know and appreciate Young's honey-sweet voice as well as the distinct quality of his material, which is a fluid and enchanting amalgam of soulful pop, psychedelic rock, blues and jazz. It's a sonic recipe that probably maybe wouldn't work in today's music business but clearly has a timeless quality. Last week, from his home in South Carolina, Young talked in gentle, friendly tones about his career. Here are excerpts from that conversation:

Over time, artists besides The Youngbloods who've recorded versions of "Get Together" range from Jefferson Airplane and Joni Mitchell to Nick Drake and Fairport Convention. It's also appeared on a variety of film soundtracks like "Forrest Gump," "The Dish," "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and "Easy Rider." On the enduring quality of the song and whether, in light of recent political events, anyone's broached re-releasing it:

"Y'know, nobody's mentioned it. I sometimes wonder who owns the rights. Sony, I think. It's funny, though. That song always seems to come back into the public eye in one form or another. I know that, after 'Forrest Gump,' I started getting fan letters from 12-year-olds saying how happy the song makes them. That can make you pretty happy."

On returning to active music after the Lyme Disease-induced layoff:

"I felt like I'd been off for 100 years. I wasn't thinking about anything in particular. Then, last year, my son graduated from the Berklee School of Music. I went to the recital, and they just blew me away. I thought, 'Wow, I wonder what my music would sound like with all these younger players.' I ended up with this band of Berklee grads and undergrads – 22- and 23-year old musicians and singers. The energy and musicianship is amazing. It's funny, some of them grew up with my music – sort of – because their parents listened."

On the eclectic nature of his songwriting:

"Truthfully, songs just come out – not in the incredible way the Beatles did it; mine are a lot more reticent. I think it goes back to my childhood and just singing. My mom had a beautiful voice. We didn't have a television, and we didn't listen to radio in the car. If we wanted music, we had to sing. My sister also had a lovely singing voice. My father went to Harvard, and I remember singing at a 'Life Begins at 50' party for the Class of '25." He laughs. "One of my first performances, and it was about kicking Yale's ass.

"Anyway, I do believe we're all connected in some spiritual way, and if we're willing and open and clear a space for them, songs will come to you. I'd been creatively blocked for a while, but I tried meditation and some other channels, and it looks like I've started receiving again. It's a real pleasure to be writing again."

On the number of big artists who've covered his songs and what he might have done with any big royalty checks:

"As a matter of fact, those royalties come in handy. I'd just built a house in Marin County – yes, on THAT ridge top. It's so beautiful up there. The house cost $29,000 and, about that time, Three Dog Night did a version of 'Sunlight.' God bless Three Dog Night. I got a $20,000 check and said, 'Damn, I'll go ahead and build a recording studio.'"

On making music in the creatively free, post-Summer of Love era:

"A lot of labels thought we were all a bunch of drunks and drug addicts. But when we were with Warner Brothers, it was an incredible time. We were a generation that wrote our own music, and they were very supportive and artist-oriented. Ry Cooder and Bonnie Raitt and the Grateful Dead were all on that label. I'd built my studio, and Joe Smith, president of Warner Brothers, loaned me $20,000 to buy tape machines. (He laughs.) He came to see me after a show at the Troubador in L.A. and threw his arms around me because I'd actually spent the money for the equipment and not a party.

"But I wasn't much of a drinker in those days, and I was allergic to pot, so I was pretty serious about the music — probably to the point that I was a bit of a (jerk) to work with. But I knew music was what I was meant to do, and I wasn't crazy about everybody getting high. I don't know, maybe they needed it to be creative."

On looking back at his career:

"I just think sometimes how wonderful it is to be appreciated. You know, we have this amazing carpenter here building a portico on our house, and I can't get over how great his work is – I can't get over how people create something like that. In that spirit, I'm so happy with the small amount of success I've had. It's nice to know I've been appreciated because I've poured my life into music. It's important to sometimes think we can make a difference."

Jesse Colin Young, 8 p.m. Saturday, Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook; $49-$55; 1-877-503-1286.