For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
February 26, 2006

Entertainment at the Dinner in Honor of the States and Territories

Born January 24, 1941, Aaron Neville is a product of New Orleans' richly complex musical culture. He is the third of the four famous Neville Brothers, who were his vocal models and first partners.

In 1966 Aaron broke onto the national scene with "Tell It Like It Is," a plaintive ballad that went to the top of the pop charts and is still considered a classic of American music. The Neville Brothers began a string of successful albums in 1977. In 1989, Linda Ronstadt featured Aaron on her album Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind, resulting in the great pop hit duet "Don't Know Much."

The high point of the Neville Brothers' career came in 1989 with "Yellow Moon," written and sung by Aaron, whose solo career was revived in 1991 with the album Warm Your Heart, produced by George Massenburg and Linda Ronstadt.

Aaron has won four Grammies: Best Pop Duo with Linda Ronstadt for "Don't Know Much;" Best Pop Instrumental Performance with the Neville Brothers for "Healing Chant;" Best Pop Duo with Linda Ronstadt for "All My Life;" and Best Country Collaboration with Vocals with Trisha Yearwood for "I Fall to Pieces." He was named Best Male Singer for two successive years in the Rolling Stone critics' poll.

# # #

Printer-Friendly Version   Email this page to a friend