Neil Young will perform several shows in the Gulf Coast in September to aid residents affected by the oil spill. Young has teamed up with his friend John Tyson, chairman of Tyson Foods, Inc., which will donate 100,000 pounds of chicken products to be distributed to the Bay Area Food Bank.

Tyson will deliver four truckloads of chicken, the equivalent of almost 400,000 meals, to the Bay Area Food Bank, which serves Central Gulf Coast communities in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi.

Young is also asking concert-goers to bring non-perishable food items, which will be given to the food bank. All proceeds from the sale of unique, limited-edition Neil Young t-shirts, available only at the concerts, will also be donated to the food bank. [The announcement did not mention if any ticket proceeds would also be donated.]

The hunger relief effort is the result of the long-standing friendship between Young and Tyson. "Millions of people who live along the Gulf Coast struggle with hunger and the economic impact of the oil spill has only made matters worse," Young says. "I appreciate the willingness of John Tyson and his company to get involved by helping the regional food bank help feed those in need. We both encourage concert-goers to spend money locally and support local business."