Art Neville
b. New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Neville first attracted attention as a member of the Hawketts, a Crescent City act which scored notable local success in 1954 with Mardi Gras Mambo. Although ostensibly a keyboard player—he appeared as session pianist on Jerry Byrne's Lights Out—Neville also undertook a singing career and, having signed with the renowned Specialty Records, enjoyed a regional hit with his debut single, Cha Dooky-Doo. This progress was interrupted by a spell in the US armed forces, but upon being discharged, he completed a series of low-key singles for the Minit/Instant label. Neville later achieved considerable acclaim as a member of the Meters, which in turn evolved into the equally compulsive Neville Brothers, where Art was joined by siblings Cyril, Charles and Aaron Neville.