10/07/2024
Johnny Neel. Words cannot express how much I learned from him over our many years of friendship and making music. We met soon after he moved here in the early 80s It started with Blue Monday. I invited him to jam with us, and he was in the band in the blink of an eye. His energy took us to another level. We played every Monday at the Bluebird from 1984 to 1987. We got a record deal with Kent and made a two record set of our live tunes. In the meantime Glenn Middleworth signed Johnny to a publishing deal with Forrest Hills Music and we started recording his demos and learning how to be studio musicians.
One thing kept leading to another and we played together in many different scenarios. Blue Christmas was a collaboration between Johnny and I, re-arranging holiday tunes with Larry Chaney, Russ Pahl, John Gardner and Sam Bacco. Our four song cassette was the first project released on my label, Earwave Music in 1992. We played together with Dickey Betts on the road and when the Allman Brothers got back together, Johnny was in the band, which was a great thing for everyone involved. I will never forget seeing them in Boston and they were amazing. Needless to say when Johnny got his moment to shine, he had the crowd in the palm of his hand.
He was fearless and never let his lack of sight hold him back. I visited him in the hospital after his stroke and he was determined to cone back. And he did. He played my 45th Nashiversary Dave and Friends show at the Exit/In in October 2022 and we had a blast.
Thank you Johnny Neel for everything. The music the laughs and the inspiration. Many thanks to his wife Christine and his manager Doug Jones who have taken good care of him for a long time. We love you and miss you already my friend.
