Kenny Neal was born into the blues as the eldest son of veteran Baton Rouge harmonica player Raful Neal, and not only has he proudly carried the tradition on, but he also has ensured its legacy by surrounding himself with siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins and children who play or sing with him or perform on their own. With eight of the family participating, Neal’s aptly titled Bloodline album took top honors in the 2017 Blues Music Awards, one of five BMA wins Neal has notched. He is the only blues artist to have won awards as a musician, an actor and a TV host.
Neal, born in New Orleans on October 14, 1957, grew up in the Baton Rouge area absorbing blues not only from his father but from a musical circle that included Blues Hall of Famers Slim Harpo, Lazy Lester, and many others. Buddy Guy left Louisiana just weeks before Neal’s birth but was a longtime friend of Raful and hired Kenny to play bass in his band in Chicago and on tour. The experience inspired Neal to hone his guitar chops and put together a Neal Brothers Band that found a home base in Toronto backing the stars that came to town, including Guy, Junior Wells and Big Mama Thornton. Neal, a charismatic live performer, enhanced his reputation in a stint with the Downchild Blues Band before returning home.
Florida songwriter-producer Bob Greenlee recorded Neal’s first albums on King Snake and Alligator. Neal’s discography steadily grew with releases on Telarc, Blind Pig, Ruf, Cleopatra Blues, his own Booga Music imprint, and other labels. He also played guitar or harmonica on sessions with his father, his sister Jackie Neal, Lazy Lester, Rufus Thomas, Tab Benoit, Debbie Davies, Tito Jackson, and others, including Sonny Rhodes, whose lap steel guitar playing inspired Neal to take up the instrument. An impromptu acoustic album recorded in France with Billy Branch won a W.C. Handy Award in 2005. He also earned a Theatre World Award for his acting debut in the Broadway play Mule Bone in 1991 and later received awards for a TV program, Neal’s Place, he hosted while living in Palo Alto, California, when he was on hiatus to recover from hepatitis C. His struggles with the illness led him to compose the song “Let Life Flow,” which was voted Blues Song of the Year in 2009.