Famed
Bayou bluesman, singer/harmonica player Raful Neal, died Wednesday,
September 1, after a long bout with cancer. He was 68. With his
relaxed vocal style and behind-the-beat harmonica playing, he
was considered ne of the best bluesmen to emerge from the south
Louisiana area, bringing the sounds of the region to a worldwide
audience. Neal was the patriarch of the famed Neal clan: nearly
all of his children are blues musicians, including recording artist
Kenny Neal.
Raful
Neal was born in Baton Rouge in 1936, and began playing harmonica
at age 14. Heavily influenced by Little Walter, Neal's playing
quickly earned him a reputation as the area's premiere harpist.
His vocal mixed swampy Louisiana blues with soul and R&B.
Combined with his harmonica playing, Neal helped create a sound
now known worldwide as Louisiana Swamp blues.
Neal
formed his first band, The Clouds, when he was just 17. The
group originally featured guitarist Lester Johnson (later known
as Lazy Lester) who was soon replaced by the young Buddy Guy.
Little Walter himself heard the band while he was in Baton Rouge
and invited them up to Chicago to fill in gigs he couldn't make.
While Guy headed north, Neal stayed in Baton Rouge to raise
his growing family.
Neal's
first single, "Sunny Side Of Love" came in 1958 on
Don Robey's Peacock label. A series of singles followed on regional
labels like Witt and La Louisiane. During the 1960s, 1970s and
1980s, Neal became a local legend, performing around the south
and teaching his children the finer points of the blues. As
his reputation grew, a 1987 single for the Fantastic label,
"Man, Watch Your Woman," was nominated for a W.C.
Handy Blues Award.
His
first full album, "Louisiana Legend," was released
on King Snake Records in 1988 and was later reissued by Alligator.
A 1991 recording for Ichiban, "I Been Mistreated,"
and a 1998 release, "Old Friends," for the Club Louisianne
label, helped Neal stay in the public eye. Neal appeared on
a number of compilation CDs for the Telarc label, including
"The Hoodoo Kings," and "Superharps II."
These recordings kept Neal's tour schedule full, as he performed
from Baton Rouge to points all over the country.
Nine
of Neal's 11 children inherited his blues-playing prowess and
play professionally, including guitarist/vocalist/songwriter
Kenny Neal, who played on "Louisiana Legend" and has
made 10 albums on his own. Other famed musician family members
include Raful, Jr., Fredrick, Darnell, Larry, Graylon, Noel,
and Jackie. Raful was inducted into the Louisiana Blues Hall
of Fame in 1995.
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