Kenny Neal: Biography

• Overview
• Discography
• Biography
• Related Artists

• Videos
• Photos
• Groups/Boards
• Fan Sites

• Troy Turner
• Lazy Lester
• Lucky Peterson
• Joe Louis Walker

• Buddy Guy
• Raful Neal
• Slim Harpo

• Jimmy Payne
• Bob "Rattlesnake" Greenlee
• Bruce Iglauer

• Bill "Foots" Samuel
• Bruce Staelens
• Warren King
• Bryan Bassett
• Ernie Lancaster

Born:

Oct 14, 1957 in New Orleans, LA

Genres:

Blues Music, Electric Blues Music, Modern Electric Blues Music

Decades Active:

1980's|1990's|2000's

Artistic Quality

Low

Cultural Impact

Low

Popularity

Low

Ratings Guide

The future of Baton Rouge swamp blues lies squarely in multi-instrumentalist Kenny Neal's capable hands -- the second-generation southern Louisiana bluesman is entirely cognizant of the region's venerable blues tradition and imaginative enough to steer it in fresh directions, as his albums for Alligator confirm. His dad, harpist Raful Neal, was a Baton Rouge blues mainstay whose pals included Buddy Guy and Slim Harpo (the latter handed three-year-old Kenny an old harp one day as a toy, and that was it). At age 13, Neal was playing in his father's band, and he picked up a bass at 17 for Buddy Guy. In 1987, Neal cut his debut LP for Florida producer Bob Greenlee -- a stunningly updated swamp feast initially marketed on King Snake Records as Bio on the Bayou. Alligator picked it up the following year, retitled it Big News from Baton Rouge, and young Neal was on his way. Neal's sizzling guitar work, sturdy harp, and gravelly, aged-beyond-his-years vocals have served him well ever since.

- Bill Dahl, All Music Guide