Anthology

An Interview With Kenny Neal

by: Casey Pukl

Louisiana seems to breed some seriously resilient folks, and top notch musicians at that (the food there is just a bonus). I had the pleasure of speaking with the incredibly talented blues guitar master, Kenny Neal, this morning. Over his nearly forty year career, Neal has achieved numerous accolades, including Grammy Award nominations, several Blues Critic’s Awards, and most recently, an award for Album of the Year. But it’s not all smooth sailing for the blues great. Having put his career on hold to battle hepatitis C, and losing three family members in a single year, Neal is a survivor in the truest sense. If you ask him how he survived, he’ll credit the strength of his family; but if you ask me, I think they put something in the po-boys.

CP: How did you get your start playing music?

KN: You know, some people can give you an age or a date or a moment, but I honestly can’t remember. I grew up in a household of music. I don’t ever remember it not being around. My Dad was a musician, you know. He grew up as a country boy, and when his Dad passed away, my Dad took all of his farm tools and put them out to the curb. (Laughs) He played the harmonica, and I just always remember playing. My dad and I played together all the time.

I guess I really got my career started in the mid 70’s. My Dad started playing in the 1950’s, and Buddy Guy was his guitar player until he left to play with Muddy Waters. In ’76, Buddy Guy returned the favor to my Dad, and I went out there and played with him for about 8 years. It was really great. I got to play with all the greats, and I used to call my dad and say, “Guess who I met today?” It was just a really neat start.

CP: You can’t ask for much more than that.

KN: No, you definitely can’t. I had a great start.

CP: So I’ve heard that you play quite a few different instruments.

KN: You know, I can kind of pick at a lot of instruments. I’ll pick up anything and at least learn a song or two on it. I guess you could say I play about 3-5 instruments- piano, bass, guitar, lap steel, harmonica, and I learned the trumpet when I was younger. That’s actually the only music I know how to read is treble cleff from playing that trumpet. Everything I do now is from the ear and the heart. That’s how it is down in Louisiana. I was brought up in Baton Rouge, and that’s how the musicians do it down there. Lots by ear. It’s the spirit of it. That’s why it’s still my favorite place to play, and not just because I’m from there. Down there, there’s good food, good music, and good people. The music has a lot of heart and spirit.

CP: I’ve also heard that you have quite an extensive collection of instruments.

KN: (Laughs) Oh boy. I guess you could say I’m one of those pack rats. I’m attached to all of them. I’m sure at this point some of them are worth a fortune, but I’ll never get rid of them. I’ve got a ton of old microphones, guitars from my dad’s band. Tons of stuff. Maybe someday I’ll give them to a museum or something. But I really want to pass them down to the younger generation. Hopefully they’ll get as attached to them as I have, and hopefully they’ll want them!

CP: I’m sure they will! Now, I know you took a hiatus from your career for a bit for health issues, and in that time you lost your father. Tell me about that experience. Do you feel like it changed you and your music?

KN: Yeah, that was a really rough time. You know, you think you know everything and have it all figured out, and then all of a sudden everything changes. I actually lost my dad, brother, and sister all within 11 months.

CP: Wow. And all of this was happening as you were having your own health issues?

KN: Yes. My father passed at 68, which is just too early for me. But we really lived it up before he went. We went out and toured the world. It’s a great memory. And then my brother passed from Hepatitis C, which was actually what I wound up battling. Here I thought I was helping save him, and the whole time I was sick with it too. But then he passed, and my sister. That was the worst. She was murdered. Just unbelievable. Her jealous ex-boyfriend came into the hair salon while she was getting ready to go on tour, and killed her. It was like a year and a half or two years of just one big storm. One year I’m on stage performing, and the next year I’m putting my whole family in the ground.

CP: I can’t even imagine what that’s like. How did that impact your writing and the way you viewed your career?

KN: Well, I definitely didn’t have the struggle of worrying about what to write. I didn’t have to think. I just had to put it all down, and especially for Let Life Flow. I think I came back ok though.

CP: I’d say so. You put out two of your most critically acclaimed and decorated albums after that.

KN: (Laughs) That’s right. The emotions were all just there. Everything came out naturally. You have a lot of time to think when you’re sick. I had so much time to just sit and think. I decided that I wanted to make something of my time, and I really think a lot of good comes from the bad. I’m lucky. I think part of the reason I really made it through was because my family is so strong and so close. I’m one of ten children in my family, and now there are all the little nieces and nephews. I think sometimes it’s hard for kids to process grief when the adults are all grieving too, but we all really pulled together to support each other and the kids. We’re a very close-knit group, and I don’t think I could’ve made it through the struggles without that. We all pulled together. I’m grateful and lucky to have that.

CP: That’s truly incredible. It’s amazing enough that you’re even alive, none the less that you’ve actually come back to record two records, and win the Critic’s Poll Living Blues Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album of the Year for Hooked on Your Love this year.

KN: It’s pretty crazy.

CP: Tell me a little bit about what you’re hoping to bring to Anthology and what our audience can look forward to at your show.

KN: This is going to be a nice, good time, old school foot-stompin’, hand-clappin’ music show. I want the audience to be a part of it, not just watch. I want them to sing with me and feel it. They’re a part of the show. They’re a part of the music. It’s going to keep the spirit up. It’ll be a lot of fun. I’m really looking forward to it!

Be sure to check out the Spotify playlist of my favorite Kenny Neal songs below, and don’t miss him tomorrow night! After all, we only live once.

Kenny Neal

WHAT: Kenny Neal
WHEN: Thursday, November 3, 2011, 7:30pm
TICKETS: $10-$29 Buy Tickets
MORE INFO: Artist Profile