Aaron Neville

Aaron Neville (born January 24, 1941 in New Orleans, Louisiana ) is an American soul and R&B singer whose beautiful, emotive and vibrato laden voice has enthralled audiences around the world. Aaron is the third of the four famous and funky The Neville Brothers (Aaron, Charles, Cyril and Art Neville) who all grew up on Valence St in Uptown, New Orleans LA and went their seperate ways for years before forming a unique musical group of their own in the late 1970's.

Aaron's full musical promise was nearly sidetracked in his youth with several false starts, compounded by run-ins with the law, bad business decisions and problems with substance abuse. By the late 1980's, he eventually overcame numerous challenges and found stability and worldwide acclaim, becoming a widely appreciated and award winning solo singer.

Amongst his first recorded efforts in the early 1960's for the Parlo label was the song Tell It Like It Is which became a big hit, not only locally, but nationally as well. Aaron was unfortunately denied proper royalties, and ended up broke and working as a day laborer on the Mississippi River loading docks hearing his first hit song climbing the charts on the radio while working. Thus began a long journey into the unseemly side of show business which left him with not much to show for his efforts other than a growing drug problem.

A product of the Crecent City's richly complex musical culture, his first vocal model was his relatively stable older brother Art Neville, a solo artist in the 1950's and keyboardist and founder of The Meters. Despite his brothers inroads into the music business, Aaron had to find his own way and often went the wrong way, once getting arrested after a petty crime spree with early R&B star and pimp Larry Williams out in LA.

Aaron's brother Charles, a potential role model, dabbled in heroin use as a young man, playing sax in touring bands including B.B. King's while outspoken younger brother Cyril became Aaron's partner in a late 60's funk band they called the Soul Machine.

The Neville Brothers first assembled as a full family unit during the mid 70's for the recording of The Wild Tchoupitoulas album released on Island records. They created an album of Mardi Gras Indian favorites supporting their uncle "Big Chief Jolly" aka George Landry. By 1978, they released their first group effort under the name The Neville Brothers and with the Meters ending their run, they focused on the family band project.

Aaron's vocal prowess soon became a focal point of their concerts, they obtained management support from Bill Graham and he was soon asked to do duets with Linda Ronstadt with whom he won two consecutive Grammys in 1989 and 1990.

Aaron has won numerous awards on his own including solo Grammy awards in 1991, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2003 and another best duet Grammy award for a collaboration with Trisha Yearwood in 1994

http://www.aaronneville.com