Raful Neal

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Raful Neal (born June 6, 1936 in Baton Rouge , † September 1, 2004 ibid) was an American blues singer , harmonica player and songwriter .

Raful Neal is the father of Baton Rouge Blues, a title he earned through his discography, his influence on other musicians and as the father of ten children, nine of whom play blues music. One of his sons, Kenny Neal , had a great career as a blues musician, and some of his brothers also play in the band.

biography

He and his sister lost their parents at an early age, and they both grew up with an aunt. He started playing the harmonica at the age of 14 with the help of Ike Brown, a local musician and influenced by Little Walter . His first band, The Clouds, included Lester Johnson ( Lazy Lester ), who was later replaced by the very young Buddy Guy . When Little Walter, his great role model, heard him play in Baton Rouge, he invited the band to come to Chicago and make performances for him that he could not do himself. Buddy Guy went to Chicago, Raful Neal stayed in Baton Rouge and made his first recording for Peacock Records, Sunny Side ; but it was unsuccessful. With Peacock he did not record any more records, only in the 1960s he took up singles for Whit, La Louisiane and Fantastic.

He toured with Buddy Guy in the 1980s, and in 1987 recorded his first album, Louisiana Legend , for King Snake Records. The album was taken over by Alligator Records in 1990 . Until 1987, he was only a local celebrity. It was only with the inclusion of Man, Watch Your Woman that he became known nationwide. The single was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the "Best Blues Single" category. His sons Noel (bass) and Raful Jr. (drums) assisted him with the recording of his next album, I been mistreated . He toured the world in the 1990s. In 1995 he was inducted into the Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame. In 1998 he took on Old Friends , after which he fell ill with cancer, which he succumbed to in 2004.

The Neal family

  • Raful Neal: harmonica, vocals
  • Kenny: Guitar, vocals
  • Raful Jr .: guitar, drums
  • Jackie: Singing
  • Frederick: Keyboards
  • Darnell: Bass
  • Noel: Bass
  • Larry: drums
  • Graylon: drums
  • Kenny's son, Kenny Jr., and daughter Syreeta continue the musical tradition of the family their grandfather started.

Discography

  • 1990: Louisiana Legend (Alligator)
  • 1991: I Been Mistreated (Ichiban)
  • 1998: Old Friends Club (Louisianne Music)

Guest appearances:

  • Superharps II (vocals and harmonica)
  • Tab Benoit: Homesick for the Road and Live: Swampland Jam (vocals and harmonica)
  • Hoodo Kings (vocals and harmonica)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Louisiana Music: Raful Neal: Blues Composer, Singer & Harmonica Whiz ( Memento of the original from March 13, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.louisianasmusic.com
  2. ↑ Alligator Records: Artist Page-Raful Neal
  3. ↑ Louisiana Music: Raful Neal: Blues Composer, Singer & Harmonica Whiz ( Memento of the original from March 13, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.louisianasmusic.com
  4. ↑ All Music Guide biography of Bill Dahl
  5. ↑ The Neal Family - Homepage Kenny Neal
  6. ↑ All Music Guide biography of Bill Dahl
  7. ↑ Cd Universe
personal data
SURNAME Neal, Raful
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American blues singer, harmonica player, and songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH June 6, 1936
PLACE OF BIRTH Baton Rouge , Louisiana
DATE OF DEATH September 1, 2004
Place of death Baton Rouge , Louisiana