Neville, Cyril (10th January 1948-Present)

He is a singer, percussionist and composer born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to an extremely successful family of musicians.

When he was 19 years old he began his professional musical career as a singer and joined up with two of his brothers, Aaron and Art, in Art Neville and the Neville Sounds. He and Aaron formed their own group at the end of the 1960s/beginning of the 1970’s called Soul Machine and in 1970 he released his first record as a solo artist, “Gossip”, with Art’s group The Meters providing the backing. Soul Machine moved to Nashville, followed by New York, but still not seeing the success they wanted, he became a member of The Meters who were busy in the studio and touring with The Rolling Stones.

In 1976, after The Meters were starting to go their own separate ways, he and his brothers Aaron, Art and Charles put together The Neville Brothers after having appeared with them in The Wild Tchoupitoulas. They have since become a very popular outfit that have toured nationally and internationally and released many acclaimed albums.

Continually working outside the group he has established bands such as Endangered Species Band and the Uptown Allstars Band and released his own album recordings. His albums include The Fire This Time, New Orleans Cookin’ and Suolo as well as Cabbage Alley, Fire on the Boyou, New Directions and Trick Bag with The Meters and Family Groove, Neville-ization, Walkin’ in the Shadow of Life and Yellow Moon with The Neville Brothers and as a guest artist he has appeared on Fever for the Bayou by Tab Benoit, Picture Perfect Morning by Edie Brickell, Hot Water by Jimmy Buffett, Goin’ Back to New Orleans by Dr. John, Oh Mercy by Bob Dylan, Teatroby Willie Nelson, Orchid in the Storm by Aaron Neville and Storyville by Robbie Robertson. In the movies he has appeared as a guest on the documentary New Orleans Music in Exile that was made following Hurricane Katrina and written music for Follow Me Home, Maangamizzi: The Ancient One and The Shot Heard ‘Round the World.

In 2012 he became a member of the blues-rock supergroup Royal Southern Brotherhood.

On the business side of things he founded the New Orleans Musicians Organisation, which gives advice to local artists, and established the record label Endangered Species.

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Neville, Cyril (10th January 1948-Present)

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