Aaron Neville Knocked Down by Tragedy, the Sweet-Voiced Legend Bounces Back to Spread the Gospel
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NOVEMBER 2010 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM SPOTLIGHT sarah a. Friedman aaron neville Knocked down by tragedy, the sweet-voiced legend bounces back to spread the gospel Five years ago, Hurricane Katrina “it was like a reunion in the studio—so many destroyed aaron neville’s new orleans great musicians and background singers,” home. two years later his wife of almost neville says. “a lot of ’em i’d been working 48 years, Joel, died after a long bout with since the ’60s.” among those longtime with lung cancer. a pair of blows like that friends was pianist allen toussaint, who would’ve tested the faith of many men, but grew up near neville in new orleans and not neville. “My faith never wavered,” says produced his first solo recordings. “it was neville, who relocated to nashville after the cool working with allen again,” he says. Katrina disaster. “i never questioned god. “We recorded together from ’60 to ’64, My wife, even when she got cancer, she and then again in ’70 and ’71. right now NOVEMBER 2010 never questioned either. Prayer carried me we’re working on a poetry book. a lot of the through. that’s one thing about the new songs on here have come from me writing M MUSIC & MUSICIANS orleans people—you can knock ’em down, poetry and sending it to allen.” in addition MAGAZINE but they can come back up.” to their musical collaborations throughout those experiences led neville to make the years, toussaint and neville founded his first new album in four years, I Know the charitable organization new orleans I’ve Been Changed, a musical testimony to artists against Hunger and Homelessness his long-held spirituality. as a child, he was (noaaHH) in 1985. nursed on the sounds of gospel groups like as he celebrates 50 years in the music the Brooklyn allstars and the Blind Boys business, neville is confident that he has of alabama. He admits that whittling down chosen the proper musical course for this the track list for his own new addition to the moment. “gospel is what our world needs gospel tradition was a challenge. “it was to hear right now,” says the singer, who will hard at first,” he says. “there were a lot to turn 70 in January. “it’s uplifting. in today’s pick from. We all talked about the music that music there are a lot of formulas. i don’t want we thought would work best.” to get pigeonholed—i want to do more doo- I Know I’ve Been Changed was wop and country too. But gospel is what’s recorded over five days in Los angeles, most important to me.” with producer Joe Henry behind the board. –Blake Boldt 21 M mag 7_BARS.indd 21 11/18/10 12:15:16 AM.