Aaron Neville Booking Agency Profile

Aaron Neville Biography

Although Aaron Neville is often compared to singer Sam Cooke in terms of sheer vocal refinement, he has a voice and style uniquely his own. Despite his well-known status as part of the New Orleans sound of the Neville Brothers, aside from the 1967 number one R&B hit "Tell It Like It Is," few have heard Aaron Neville’s incredible early solo recordings.

Many of the first recordings of Aaron Neville, in the early and mid-'60s, were arranged, produced, and sometimes written by Allen Toussaint. Songs like "She Took You for a Ride" and "You Think You're So Smart" on the Parlo label are some of Neville’s genuine masterpieces. Aaron Neville’s The Grand Tour (1993) introduced a sound very different from the R&B to which audiences were accustomed. A remake of a George Jones song brought Neville into the country music spotlight, and in 1994 Aaron Neville announced plans for a country album in the near future. Later in the year, Trisha Yearwood and Aaron Neville performed together in Los Angeles at a benefit concert for its release; the album then debuted in the Top Ten on three different charts – R&B, pop, and country – making history.

Aaron Neville followed up with Tattooed Heart  (1995) and To Make Me Who I Am (1997) on A&M Records. More and more, the influence of gospel is apparent in Aaron Neville’s solo projects, as he continues to be drawn to those roots. Devotion and Believe were released in 2000 and 2003 by Tellit Records, and Nature Boy: The Standards Album came out on Verve in 2002.  Neville’s holiday album Christmas Prayer was issued by EMI Gospel in 2005. The next year, Aaron Neville began with the national anthem at Superbowl XL, followed by the release of a collection of some of his singles from earlier years, the 1960’s and early 1970’s. The album, titled Mojo Soul, was created with producers Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn. Bring It on Home... The Soul Classics, came after, and featured guests Mavis Staples and Chaka Khan, among others.  

In 2013, Blue Note Records paid tribute to Aaron Neville with the 12-song collection, My True Story. The album was produced by Keith Richards and Don Was, and featured backing vocals by musicians such as Tom Petty. Three years later, in 2016, Aaron Neville released his latest album, Apache. Most recently, Neville also appeared in Adam Sandler’s Netflix series, “Sandy Wexler,” in 2017. He continues to perform and record.