Art Neville was a singer, piano and keyboard player, nicknamed 'Poppa Funk', who helped pioneer the New Orleans funk sound in the 1950s, '60s and '70s. In his first band The Hawketts he sang lead vocals on their 1954 hit 'Mardis Gras Mambo'. In 1958 he contributed piano to Jerry Byrne's 'Lights Out'.

After a spell in the US Navy, he formed Art Neville and the Neville Sounds, regularly playing in New Orleans. They became The Meters in 1965, billed as New Orleans' answer to The MGs. The Meters provided backing sounds for numerous hits as the house band for producer and songwriter Alan Toussaint, including Lee Dorsey's 'Working in the Coal Mine' (1966), Labelle's 'Lady Marmalade' (1974), Dr John's album 'In the Right Place' (1973) and Robert Palmer's 'Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley' (1974). The band also had their own hits including 'Cissy Strut' and 'Look-Ka Py Py'. The Meters toured with many top acts including The Rolling Stones. Neville left The Meters in 1977 and formed The Neville Brothers with his brothers Charles, Aaron and Cyril, releasing 'Fiyo On the Bayou' in 1981 and 'Uptown' in 1987'. Their best-known album was 1989's 'Yellow Moon'. This included a memorable version of Bob Dylan's 'With God On Our Side' and a tribute to Rosa Parks, 'Sister Rosa'. Neville retired from performing in 2018 due to poor health and died in 2019 at the age of 81.

Art Neville

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