Arthur Lanon Neville Jr. (December 17, 1937 – July 22, 2019) was an American singer, songwriter and

keyboardist A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical inst ...

from

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. Neville was a staple of the New Orleans music scene for over five decades. He was the founder of the funk band The Meters whose musical style set the tone of New Orleans funk, a co-founder of the rock-soul-jazz band

The Neville Brothers The Neville Brothers were an American R&B/soul/funk group, formed in 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana. History The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art (1937–2019), Charles (1938–2018), Aaron (b. 1 ...

, and he later formed the spinoff group The Funky Meters. He performed on many recordings by notable artists from New Orleans and elsewhere, including Labelle (on "

Lady Marmalade "Lady Marmalade" is a song written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan, originally for Nolan's disco group. The song is famous for the repeated refrain of " ''Voulez-vous coucher avec moi''?" in French as part of the chorus, a sexually suggestive line t ...

"),

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

Lee Dorsey Irving Lee Dorsey (December 24, 1924 – December 1, 1986) was an American pop and R&B singer during the 1960s. His biggest hits were "Ya Ya" (1961) and "Working in the Coal Mine" (1966). Much of his work was produced by Allen Toussaint, with in ...

, Robert Palmer,

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from ...

and Professor Longhair. He was the recipient of three Grammy awards.

Life and career

Neville grew up in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. He was the son of Amelia (Landry) and Arthur Neville Sr. He started on piano and performed with his brothers at an early age. He was influenced by the R&B styles of

James Booker James Carroll Booker III (December 17, 1939 – November 8, 1983) was a New Orleans rhythm and blues keyboardist born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Booker's unique style combined rhythm and blues with jazz standards. Musician Dr. J ...

Bill Doggett William Ballard Doggett (February 16, 1916 – November 13, 1996) was an American pianist and organist. He began his career playing swing music before transitioning into rhythm and blues. Best known for his instrumental compositions "Honky Tonk" ...

Booker T. Jones Booker Taliaferro Jones Jr. (born November 12, 1944) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known art ...

Lloyd Glenn Lloyd Colquitt Glenn (November 21, 1909 – May 23, 1985) was an American R&B pianist, bandleader and arranger, who was a pioneer of the "West Coast" blues style. Career Born in San Antonio, Texas, from the late 1920s, Glenn played with various ...

and Professor Longhair. In high school he joined and later led The Hawketts. In 1954 the band recorded "

Mardi Gras Mambo "Mardi Gras Mambo" is a Mardi Gras-themed song written by Frankie Adams and Lou Welsch. The song's best known version was recorded in 1954 by the Hawketts, whose membership included Art Neville, a founding member of the Meters and the Neville ...

" with Neville on vocals. The song gained popularity and became a New Orleans carnival anthem. The band toured with Larry Williams. Neville performed regularly in New Orleans, joined the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

in 1958, and returned to music in 1962. He released several singles as a lead artist in 1950s and 1960s. In the early 1960s Neville formed the Neville Sounds. The band included his brothers

Aaron According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...

and

Cyril Cyril (also Cyrillus or Cyryl) is a masculine given name. It is derived from the Greek name Κύριλλος (''Kýrillos''), meaning 'lordly, masterful', which in turn derives from Greek κυριος (''kýrios'') 'lord'. There are various varian ...

, as well as

George Porter George Porter, Baron Porter of Luddenham (6 December 1920 – 31 August 2002) was a British chemist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1967. Education and early life Porter was born in Stainforth, near Thorne, in the then West ...

Leo Nocentelli Leo Nocentelli (born June 15, 1946) is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member and lead guitarist of the funk band The Meters. He wrote the original versions of several funk classics such as "Cissy Strut" and "Hey Po ...

, and

Ziggy Modeliste Joseph "Ziggy" Modeliste (born December 28, 1948), also known as Zigaboo, is an American drummer best known as a founding member of the funk band the Meters. He is widely considered an innovator in the funk genre and New Orleans style drumming. ...

. Shortly after, Aaron and Cyril left the group to form their own band. The remaining four members continued playing at the Nitecap and the Ivanhoe nightclubs. The band backed many notable artists such as

Betty Harris Betty Harris (born September 9, 1939 in Orlando, Florida, United States) is an American soul singer. Her recording career in the 1960s produced three hit singles that made the U.S. ''Billboard'' R&B and ''Billboard'' Hot 100 charts: "Cry to ...

and

The Pointer Sisters The Pointer Sisters are an American pop and R&B singing group from Oakland, California, that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, jazz, electronic music, bebop, bl ...

. The band had a strong sense of groove and unlike traditional groups each instrument was free to lead and go anywhere musically. Over time the band's style came to represent New Orleans funk. In the late 1960s the band changed its name to The Meters and released three instrumental albums. Early on, compositions were through live improvisation; however, this changed in the early 1970s. The band gained notoriety in the rock music community including with musicians

, Robert Palmer and

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...

. The group released five more albums and disbanded in late 1970s due to financial, managerial and artistic factors. The band's musical style emphasized rhythm over melody and had a lasting impact on upcoming musical styles such as hip-hop as well as jam bands including

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike G ...

Galactic Galactic is an American jam band from New Orleans, Louisiana. Origins and background Formed in 1994 as an octet (under the name Galactic Prophylactic) and including singer Chris Lane and guitarist Rob Gowen, the group was soon pared down to a ...

and the

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...

In 1978 Neville and his brothers

and

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

formed

. Previously, the brothers had worked on ''

The Wild Tchoupitoulas The Wild Tchoupitoulas were originally a group of Mardi Gras Indians formed in the early 1970s by George "Big Chief Jolly" Landry. Landry, with his Autochthon American (Choctaw) heritage, had been an active performer in the Mardi Gras Indian sty ...

'' album. The group's debut album, titled ''The Neville Brothers'', was released in 1978. In 1981 music critic

Stephen Holden Stephen Holden (born July 18, 1941) is an American writer, poet, and music and film critic. Biography Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963. He worked as a photo editor, staff writer, and eventually be ...

wrote: the Neville Brothers' style of soul music combines "funk, doo-wop, reggae and salsa under the banner of New Orleans rhythm and blues". The group released several albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including ''

Fiyo on the Bayou ''Fiyo on the Bayou'' is the second studio album by the New Orleans four piece The Neville Brothers. It was released in 1981 on A&M. The album features background vocals performed by a young Whitney Houston and her mother Cissy Houston, with sou ...

'' and ''

Yellow Moon Yellow Moon may refer to: * ''Yellow Moon'' (Neville Brothers album), 1989, or the title song * ''Yellow Moon'' (Don Williams album), 1983, or the title song * ''Yellow Moon'' (EP), a 2006 EP by Akeboshi, or the title song * "Yellow Moon", a 196 ...

'', and an album in 2004. During this period, Neville performed several shows with the original Meters bandmates including a 1989 reunion at the

New Orleans Jazz Festival The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of visitors to New ...

. Following that performance, Neville, Porter, Nocentelli and Russell Batiste formed The Funky Meters. The lineup changed in 1994 with Brian Stoltz replacing Nocentelli on guitar. Neville performed concurrently with both The Neville Brothers and The Funky Meters. In a 1995 interview, Neville spoke about the joy of live improvisation. He said "The best part, to me, is when the hythmjust evolves into some other stuff." Neville received a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

in 1989 with The Neville Brothers for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. He received a Grammy in 1996 with various artists for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in "SRV Shuffle", a tribute to

Stevie Ray Vaughan Stephen Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Although his mainstream career spanned only seven years, ...

. He was nominated for a Grammy in 1999 in category Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance. He received a

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award that is awarded by The Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of ...

in 2018 as a member of The Meters. Neville serves as narrator, is interviewed on screen and appears in performance footage in the 2005 documentary film '' Make It Funky!'', which presents a history of New Orleans music and its influence on

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mi ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

. Neville retired from music in December 2018. He died in New Orleans at the age of 81 on July 22, 2019, after years of declining health. He was survived by his wife of thirty three years, Lorraine, three children, a sister and his two brothers Aaron and Cyril. The

Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy Aw ...

and Louisiana governor John B. Edwards released statements in recognition of Neville's contributions to New Orleans music.

Personal life

Neville was married to wife Lorraine and they had two children, Ian and Amelia.

Arthel Neville Arthel Helena Neville (born October 20, 1962) is an American journalist, television personality, and weekend anchor for Fox News, based in Manhattan alongside co-anchor Eric Shawn. Neville is the daughter of Doris Neville and Art Neville, a Gramm ...

, born from first wife Doris Neville, is a journalist, television personality and news anchor for

Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is o ...

. Ian Neville is a guitar player and a founding member of Dumpstaphunk, a New Orleans-based funk and jam band. He occasionally performed with The Funky Meters,

Slightly Stoopid Slightly Stoopid is an American band based in the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego, California, who describe their music as "a fusion of folk, rock, reggae and blues with hip-hop, funk, metal and punk." As a band, they have released thirt ...

, and Dr. Klaw.

Discography

Singles

Adapted from

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...

. *1955 "

" / "Your Time's Up" ''(Chess 1591)'' (with the Hawketts) *1957 "Oooh-Whee Baby" / "The Whiffenpoof Song" ''(Specialty 592)'' *1958 "Cha Dooky Do" / "Zing Zing" ''(Specialty 637)'' *1959 "What's Going On" / "Arabian Love Call" ''(Specialty 656)'' *1961 "Too Much" / "That Rock 'n' Roll Beat" ''(Instant 3236)'' *1962 "All These Things" / "Come Back Love" ''(Instant 3246)'' *1963 "You Won't Do Right" / "Skeet Skat" ''(Instant 3256)'' *1963 "Lover of Love (Part 1)" / "Lover of Love (Part 2)" ''(Cinderella 1201)'' *1965 "My Babe" / "My Dear Dearest Darling" ''(Cinderella 1400)'' *1965 "My Dear Dearest Darling" / "

Little Liza Jane "Li'l Liza Jane", also known as "Little Liza Jane", "Liza Jane", and "Goodbye Liza Jane", is a song dating back at least to the 1910s. It has become a perennial standard both as a song and an instrumental in traditional jazz, folk music, and blu ...

" ''(Cinderella 1401)'' *1966 "Buy Me A Rainbow" / "Hook Line and Sinker" ''(Instant 3276)'' *1966 "House on The Hill (Rock 'n' Roll Hootenanny" / "Darling, Don't Leave Me This Way" ''(Instant 3281)'' (rumored to exist) *1968 "Bo Diddley (part 1)" / "Bo Diddley (part 2)" ''(Sansu 481)'' (with The Meters) *1968 "Heartaches" / "I'm Gonna Put Some Hurt On You" ''(Sansu 482)'' (with The Meters)

Other contributions

*2007 '' Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino'' (

Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives f ...

)

References

External links

Art Neville biography
at Nevilles.com *
Interview with Art Neville
at Grammy.org * {{DEFAULTSORT:Neville, Art 1937 births 2019 deaths American funk keyboardists American organists American male organists American session musicians Chess Records artists Neville family (show business) Rhythm and blues musicians from New Orleans Specialty Records artists Singers from Louisiana The Meters members The Neville Brothers members 21st-century organists 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American keyboardists 20th-century American keyboardists 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers 20th-century African-American male singers 21st-century African-American musicians