With one of the most distinctive voices in American music — a pure, aching falsetto that can move from gospel tenderness to R&B grit in a single phrase — Aaron Neville has been a New Orleans musical institution since the 1960s and one of the city's most beloved ambassadors to the world.
Biography
Neville was born in New Orleans in 1941 and made his first recordings in the early 1960s before achieving his breakthrough with 'Tell It Like It Is' in 1966 — a soul ballad of heartbreaking simplicity that reached number one on the R&B charts. After years of smaller success as a member of the Neville Brothers, he broke through to massive mainstream recognition with his 1989 duets album with Linda Ronstadt, which produced two Grammy-winning hit singles. His early 1990s recordings — particularly Warm Your Heart and The Grand Tour — document a singer at the height of his powers, his voice an instrument of almost supernatural beauty. He retired from touring in 2021 but remains one of New Orleans' greatest musical gifts to the world.
Discography