Raful Neal is his father. He is an accomplished blues guitarist and harmonica player, as well as a songwriter. Kenny Neal, a second-generation bluesman from southern Louisiana, is one of the most prominent modern advocates of Baton Rouge swampblues. He is both aware of the rich blues history of the region and is creative enough to take it forward. Neal was born in New Orleans on October 14, 1957. His father, Raful Neal (harpist), was a Baton Rouge mainstay who had many friends including Buddy Guy and Slim Harpo. The latter gave Kenny, three, his first harmonica. Neal began playing with his father’s band at age 13. He also picked up a bass for Buddy Guy when he was 17. He formed the Neal Brothers Blues Band in Toronto with his talented siblings (brother Noel played bass for James Cotton, while five of his Neal brothers play in different bands), before returning to America. Kenny Neal’s debut album was released in 1987 by Kingsnake Records under the title Bio on The Bayou. It featured an updated swamp feast that was first released by Kingsnake Records. Alligator Records signed Neal the following year and reissued his debut album under the title Big News From Baton Rouge! Young Neal was soon on his way. Neal’s sizzling guitar work, sturdy harp, and gravelly, aged-beyond-his-years vocals served him well, and he cut four albums for Alligator between 1989 and 1994. In 1991, Neal was a star on Broadway as Mule Bone. He performed acoustic renditions of Langston Hughes poetry to Taj Mahal’s music. Neal made the move from Alligator in 1998 to the blues section of jazz-based Telarc Records. He released three albums: Blues Fallsin’ Down Like Rain (1998) and What You Got (2000). Neal recorded sets in the new millennium for a variety independent labels including Easy Meeting (a 2003 collaboration between Billy Branch), Double Take (2004), a one-shot return at Alligator, and A Tribute To Slim Harpo (released in 2005 by True Life Entertainment). In 2008, Neal teamed up with Blind Pig Records to release Let Life Flow. This album combines his gritty Louisiana roots and a chic Chicago/Memphis soul approach. Two years later, Hooked on Your Love was released by Blind Pig Records. Neal’s first holiday-themed album was I’ll be Home for Christmas in 2015. It was Neal’s first album for Cleopatra. They also released Bloodline in 2016.
