Charles Neville, beloved musician, dies at 79

30th April 2018   ·   0 Comments

Charles Neville, one of the beloved members of the famed New Orleans group The Neville Brothers, passed away on Thursday at the age of 79.

The Neville Brothers, the seminal act of one of the Crescent City’s most talented and popular musical families, produced and recorded a slew of hit songs including “Sister Rosa,” a tribute to civil rights icon Rosa Parks, “Fire on the Bayou,” “Big Chief.” “Brother John/Iko Iko,” “Yellow Moon” and “A Change Is Gonna Come.”

Neville is the father of New Orleans singer Charmaine Neville.

Along with his siblings, Art, Aaron and Cyril, Charles Neville is credited with laying the foundation for the funky and soulful New Orleans music emanating from the studios of famed producer Allen Toussaint in the 1970s.

Charles Neville also played saxophone for one of the biggest names in blues music: B.B. King.

Family members said Charles Neville died Thursday morning in Massachusetts from complications related to pancreatic cancer.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with the Nevilles even before they called themselves the Neville Brothers,” Grammy Award-winning singer and fellow New Orleans artist Irma Thomas said Thursday. “Working with them back in the ‘60s. He’s always been a very nice person to work with and eager to get the job done. He was a dedicated musician who loved what he did and he loved his family.”

In 1989, the Neville Brothers won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for “Healing Chant.”

The group was also nominated for Grammy Awards in 1996 and 1999.

Charles Neville was known for his soulful saxophone style, infectious smile and engaging personality.

“We go back a long way, Charles,” Harry Connick Jr. said in a post on social media last week. “Thank you for the love and kindness… I’ll miss you… Praying for Charmaine and the rest of the family.”

“Rest in Peace to Dr. John’s Brother in Music Charles Neville, who carved his first walking stick,” Dr. John wrote.

“Charles Neville was an incredible musical giant who will be dearly missed,” New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said in an online post. “As Jazz Fest kicks off this weekend, we’ll keep ‘Charlie the horn man’ and the entire Neville Family in our thoughts and prayers.”

Aaron Neville, a multiplatinum-selling solo artist and member of the Neville Brothers, said that if he would have had the choice of picking his brothers, it would have been Charles.

“My dear brother Charlie the horn man, just want you to know that if I would’ve had the choice of picking my brothers, I would definitely choose you,” Aaron Neville said in an online post. “You were a great brother. You’ll always be in my heart and soul, like a tattoo. You helped to mold me into who I am today and I’ll always be thankful. I’ll always see your special infectious smile on the stage next to me, it would always give me a smile. I’m happy that we had a long hang together, the ups and downs. It took who we were and where we came from to make us who we are. And you are a great brother Charlie the horn man. I know you have a spot in the heavenly band next to James Booker, James Black, Herbert Hardesty, Fats Domino, Johnny Adams all the jazz bebop players who you turned me on to. Dizzy, Charlie Parker, Miles and the list goes on. Momee, Poppee, Jolly Cookie, they are all waiting on you. Some of my greatest memories are of growing up with you and family. Back in the Calliope projects, whenever I had a loose tooth, I remember you playing Tarzan and knocking it out for me. Or you would tie the string to my tooth and slam the door. Or when Mommee would leave you to watch us, you would play cowboys with us and we’d let you tie us and gag us and leave us in the closet til Momee came home, so you could read your novel. She’d say Charles where are the children? You would say, ‘Oh they’re upstairs in the closet, we were having fun being tied up as cattle rustlers or something.’ Lol, so all and all you will be missed deeply by everyone that you came in contact with. The way you brought us around the world with notes from your horn, sometimes I would forget what I was doing while listening to you blow, like on ‘Caravan,’ that brought us to India or Arabia, or like ‘Besame Mucho.’ Or your solo on ‘Fever’ or anything that came out of your horn. So dear horn man you take your well deserved rest with God in Heaven and play with the heavenly band. I know that you’re whole again. Jesus will wrap you in His loving arms and take away all the hurt of the world. We all love you very much. But I know that Jesus loved you best.

“Love and respect always my brother, your big lil brother Aaron.”

Funeral arrangements were unavailable at press time.

This article originally published in the April 30, 2018 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.