Cyril Neville is one of the founding fathers of the New Orleans
signature funky soul, rock jazz sound that has influenced
countless artists and entertained millions of fans over his 5
decade career. Mr. Neville is a vocalist, songwriter,
percussionist, painter, cultural icon and activist who richly
deserves his Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Born in 1948 in New Orleans, the youngest of the Neville Brothers was raised in a musical household,
with his brothers Aaron, Art and Charles all making waves on the local musical scene. Their uncle George
Landry was Big Chief Jolly of the Wild Tchoupitoulas Mardi Gras Indian Tribe, and young Cyril cut his
teeth singing and playing percussion with the group. At 19, he joined his brother’s band, Art Neville and
the Neville Sounds, and released his first single a year later.
Art’s band soon merged into the seminal group, The Meters, with Cyril, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist
George Porter, Jr. and drummer Zigaboo Modeliste.
Art and Cyril left The Meters in 1977, and with Aaron and Charles
formed the Neville Brothers.
One of Cyril’s current projects includes touring with his son’s band, Omari Neville and the Fuel, but he
can also be heard performing with fellow Meter Goerge Porter, Jr, Trombone Shorty and his nephew Ivan
Neville’s band Dumpstafunk.
Mr. Neville has also has also toured singing with the funk powerhouse Galactic. In
2011 Mr. Neville formed his own supergroup, Royal Southern Brotherhood, with Devon Allman, Mike Zito,
Charlie Wooten and Yonrico Scott,
Mr. Neville has recorded with a Who’s Who of the rock world including Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Dr.
John, Willie Nelson, Branford Marsalis, and Carlos Santana. He is a prolific writer, co-authoring songs
with Bono, Allen Toussant, Trombone Shorty
and Taj Mahal among many.
