The Neville Brothers

Raised in New Orleans, the Neville Brothers fully absorbed the city's rich and exciting musical legacy while experiencing a tough upbringing. Aaron Neville, who went on to become one of the world's most admired soul/R&B singers, was digging ditches when he recorded his signature song, the international hit Tell It Like It Is. His elder brother Art, who'd been playing with The Hawketts and had a hit with a funky arrangement of Mardi Gras Jumbo, became Aaron's manager as he went on tour with Otis Redding and The Drifters to capitalise on the success of Tell It Like It Is. More bands were formed by other members of the family, including The Meters and Art Neville & the Neville Sounds before they all united in one band - initially in The Wild Tchoupitoulas and then The Neville Brothers. They released their first album as the Nevilles in 1978, but it wasn't until a decade later that they struck it big with the Daniel Lanois-produced album Yellow Moon, with an atmospheric style drawing strongly on New Orleans' famous association with voodoo. Art Neville's health problems meant a low profile in the late 1990s when Aaron teamed up to make hits with Linda Ronstadt, but The Brothers returned as a major force with Walkin' In The Shadow Of Life in 2004. After another hiatus, they returned to live performance with a triumphant headline appearance at the 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.