Tell It Like It Is

by Aaron Neville

• ISBN13: 9780306834127
• ISBN10: 030683412X
• Format: Bound Book
• Copyright: 2023-09-05
• Publisher: Hachette

Summary

Legendary singer and songwriter Aaron Neville tells his personal story of overcoming poverty, addiction, and loss through faith, family, and music.

Born in the projects of New Orleans as a child of black and Native American heritage, Aaron Neville’s first #1 hit “Tell It Like it Is” was released in 1966. In the mid-70s he formed the Neville Brothers with Art, Charles and Cyril, and they released their debut album in 1978. Known as the “First Family of New Orleans” the Nevilles released over a dozen influential albums and Aaron was the breakout star, given his one-of-a-kind, soaring falsetto. With a career that spans six decades, Aaron’s many accomplishments include four platinum albums, three  #1 songs, a 2014 Grammy Hall of Fame induction and numerous film and television appearances. Apart from the funky soul of the Neville Brothers, his triple-platinum duets with Linda Ronstadt showcased the softer side of his voice.

But few people know the challenging and unusual road that Aaron took to fame and acclaim.  He’s a man who by all accounts should not have made it.

This is the first time that Aaron Neville has told the very personal details of his struggles as a working teenage father trying to raise a family while building his career as a musician, having a stint in jail for car theft and many years of struggling with heroin addiction. Known for the cross tattoo on his cheek and his St. Jude medallion, Neville credits St. Jude—the patron saint of lost causes—for turning his life around. To him he found healing and salvation in music.
 

Author Biography

Born and raised in New Orleans, Aaron Neville began his musical career in the incredibly creative 1950s Crescent City R&B scene. Working with Allen Toussaint, he recorded his first #1 hit, the stirring ballad “Tell It Like It Is,” in 1966. In the mid-70s, he began performing with his brothers—Art, Charles and Cyril—as the Neville Brothers, with the release of their debut self-titled album in 1978. Known as the first family of New Orleans music, the Neville Brothers released over a dozen influential albums and regularly closed out the world-renowned New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The band’s accolades include three Grammy nominations, as well as the 1990 Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for “Healing Chant,” and in 2017, the group was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame.

Alongside his work the Neville Brothers, Aaron sustained a successful solo career accumulating a number of awards and accolades including four Grammy awards from 12 nominations. Today, Neville has had three singles in the Billboard Top 10 on the Hot 100 chart, three #1 hits on the Adult Contemporary chart, and “Tell It Like It Is” made it to Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014. A lifelong devout Catholic, Neville received the University of Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal, the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics, in 2015.

After a lifetime in New Orleans, Aaron Neville now lives in Duchess County, NY.