A 23-year-old native of Atlanta, Gary Pfaff has been writing and performing his infectious brand of pop/rock music since the age of 15. Given the nickname "Young Gary" early on by his older peers, the singer/songwriter has established himself in the Atlanta music scene as "YG." His growing popularity stems from his innate ability to weave moving lyrical tapestries with up-tempo, guitar driven melodies. Whether performing solo or with his band, YG's live shows are captivating and invariably lead audiences to enthusiastically join in the songs by performance end. A seasoned professional at only age 23, YG has gained enormous popularity and a large fan base playing a demanding schedule of gigs in the Atlanta area for nearly eight years. He began performing at local "open mic" nights and quickly graduated to the bar and club circuit, where he has shared the stage with numerous local acts, including Columbia recording artist and Grammy nominee Shawn Mullins. The 1996 Summer Olympics found him logging a marathon-like 25 performances in 17 days on the Miller Lite and Budweiser stages during the Centennial Games. YG was a noted performer at Atlanta's 1997 Annual Music Midtown Festival. In September 1997, YG opened for sixties pop icons 'The Monkees' at Atlanta's Chastain Park Amphitheatre where he received a standing ovation and curtain call. The day after the show, Atlanta's Fox 97 Morning Show was deluged with phone calls from raving concert attendees. YG also independently released his first CD, First Time (Plow, 1997T, which received much airplay on the WNNX 99X "Locals Only" program, a showcase for emerging local talent. In October 1997, YG opened for Lava/Atlantic artist Edwin McCain at the Elizabeth Reed Music Hall in Macon, Georgia. YG then joined the Southeastern leg of McCain's Spring 1998 national tour. 1999 found YG performing with such local Atlanta legends as JoJo Herman of Widespread Panic and Col. Bruce Hampton. In 2000, YG continued his intense schedule of local shows, which included joining McCain and Kevin Kinney at Atlanta's Phipps Plaza July 4th, 2000 celebration. YG also released a minimal pressing of a live two CD set for area fans. In August 2000, YG was first runner-up for the Atlanta Local Music Awards (ALMAl, People's Choice Award. 2001 has been an exciting year for YG. He was commissioned and has been working for the last 5 months in a private Atlanta studio writing and recording the soundtrack for a 90-minute, music-based film entitled The Ladder. While continuing to write new material, YG completed and released the long awaited studio album titled Straight Up (Average Joe Records/YG Music, 2001e. YG's unique sound is enhanced with the backing of a solid, professional band which now includes: drummer Kevin "Pony" Caldwell, formerly of Wil's Drama; Benji Shanks, an exciting, classically-trained guitarist; Pete Roberts on bass, formerly of the Funky Seamen; and nationally recognized violinist, Bob Yang, from Aspen, Colorado. In August 2001, YG won the ALMA People's Choice Award, and has been honored with a prime showcase at the Atlantis Music Conference. He is currently in the recording studio working on a new album, while continuing to complete his film project and playing numerous venues in the Atlanta area.