Some early reviews are in…
“Iconic New Orleanian, platinum-record singer and songwriter Aaron Neville, a Grammy Hall of Famer… candidly reveals his little-known personal and professional struggles.”
– Booklist
“A gratifying, spiritual, and hopeful against-all-odds memoir.”
– Library Journal (Starred Review)
“The author’s life has been an inspiration…A worthwhile musical survivor’s story.”
– Kirkus
“When Aaron Neville sings he is the mightiest of Archangels. The truth he’s written in these pages is no less powerful. He tells his riveting story with all the triumphs and sorrows, joys and frustrations he has experienced in his eight decades of life.”
— Linda Ronstadt
“[Neville] leaves readers sharing his conviction that his life has been something of a miracle and that ‘my voice was my salvation.’…The author’s life has been an inspiration….A worthwhile musical survivor’s story.”
— Kirkus
With a career that spans six decades, Aaron Neville’s many accomplishments include four platinum albums, three hit #1 songs on the Adult Contemporary chart, and the 2014 Grammy Hall of Fame induction of his R&B classic “Tell It Like It Is.” Despite this massive success, Neville never thought he’d be here for this long. Instead, his road to acclaim is a circuitous one, fraught with challenges.
Born in a housing project in New Orleans of Black and Native American heritage, Aaron Neville – known for his trademark falsetto – began singing in the projects of New Orleans. But although he always wanted to sing, life often got in the way of this dream. A married father by the age of eighteen, Aaron had a family to care for and often couldn’t support them through music alone. So while he had a national Top 10 with “Tell It Like It Is” in the ’60s, Neville didn’t return to the spotlight until the late 70s with the Neville Brothers, the “First Family of New Orleans Music.”
In between his times in the public eye, Neville worked a wide variety of jobs—loading cargo, painting houses, digging ditches—to care for his family. He also served a six-month stint in Orleans Parish Prison for car theft at the age of 19, was later sentenced for burglary, and struggled with a heroin addiction into the early ‘80s.
Neville again reached the top of the charts in 1989 with his album of duets with Linda Ronstadt, Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind. The album featured the #1 Grammy-winning hits “Don’t Know Much” and “All My Life.” Neville followed this with a string of hits including “Don’t Take Away My Heaven,” “Even If My Heart Would Break,” and a hugely popular cover of the Main Ingredient’s “Everybody Plays the Fool.”
Aaron’s story is one of overcoming incredible odds. By all accounts he should not have made it in the music industry. Yet, here he is. Even more remarkably, Aaron’s story has never been told in full until now. TELL IT LIKE IS: My Story (Hachette Books, 9/5/23) marks the first time the award-winning artist showcases the entirety of his career and life. Aaron adds, “To all my fans and friends, I hope that you enjoy reading about my journey through life. All the ups and downs, ins and outs… buckle up, stay in the saddle, while I tell it like it is…and like it was.”
With raw and unflinching honesty, Neville’s reflections shed light on a life not usually chronicled in literature: that of a mixed-race Black man overcoming incredible odds through faith, family, music and resilience.
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Aaron Neville, 79, soul and R&B vocalist and musician
Currently sheltering: At home with his wife, Sarah Ann Friedman
COURTESY OF SARAH A FRIEDMAN
Aaron Neville watering plants inside the greenhouse at his New York farm.
“They said that being almost 80, I would be a prime candidate to get the virus. Plus, I have asthma. I don’t want to get sick. So, I canceled my tour dates and we’ve been home and isolated on our farm in New York. Sarah runs the farm. I do the watering in the greenhouse and whatever else I can. We have about 100 chickens, plus strawberries, tomatoes and honeybees. We have enough food in our freezer thanks to two cows we used to have. Their names were T-Bone and Ribeye. Being from New Orleans, I make a lot of red beans.
“Our living room is now a recording studio. I have my piano plugged into the computer and I play free concerts on Sunday on Facebook. I’m drawn back, almost in a reverie in my mind, to playing the stuff I heard when I was a kid. I play spiritual music. I play doo-wop. It’s what I’m connecting with the most, and it’s bringing so much comfort right now.
“The rest of the time I’m doing what everybody else is doing. I’m staying in. Playing solitaire sometimes. Playing dominoes. Walking out in the yard with my dog, Apache. He’s a shih tzu Pomeranian. About 15 pounds, but he thinks he’s 100 pounds. In the afternoons, I watch my soaps. The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.
“We have a plethora of trees here. I call them my cathedraI. I’ll sit out there and I’ll pray. I pray all the time lately. I pray for my family. I pray for New Orleans. It’s sad what’s going on in my city. So many people sick. I feel for them. I feel for the whole world, wherever people are suffering. I pray and I sing. That’s getting me through. They say he that sings prays twice. What else can you really do?”
See full statements below from the festivals with more details for ticket-holders.
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JAZZ FEST 2020 TO BE RESCHEDULED FOR THE FALL
At the direction of City of New Orleans authorities, in response to ongoing COVID-19 health concerns, the 2020 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell will not occur this April and May, as scheduled. The health and safety of the community, our musicians, Festival fans, participants, sponsors and staff are paramount, and we urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forth by public health officials.
Jazz Fest 2020 will now take place in the fall. We will announce exact dates and additional details soon. All purchases for the original dates will be honored for the fall dates.
Thank you for your support and patience, and we look forward to seeing everyone this fall.
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TAMPA BAY BLUES FESTIVAL
After consultations with the Mayor’s office for the City of St Petersburg, we have learned that our festival scheduled for April 3, 4, 5, 2020 must be rescheduled for a later date. We did everything within our power to save the event, but the corona virus and health concerns in Florida have mandated this result.
All ticket and VIP buyers will be honored on our rescheduled date. We do believe the festival will return on April 9, 10, 11, 2021. For those desiring a refund, arrangements will be made to return monies paid to us through Etix or otherwise. Details will be provided here, as soon as we have more information.
We are very saddened by this development, but these circumstances are beyond our control. Our City manages the use of Vinoy Park, and has removed the venue as an option for us.
We are so very grateful for our tremendously loyal fans and sponsors who support us every year. Your well-being is paramount in our thinking and we hope you’ll join us again at the next Tampa Bay Blues Festival. Please stay safe and know that we truly care about each of you. Best wishes!
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