Fred Neil
b. 1937, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA. An important figure in America's folk renaissance, Neil's talent first emerged in 1956 when he co-wrote an early Buddy Holly single, Modern Don Juan. By the following decade he was a fixture of the Greenwich Village circuit, both as a solo act and in partnership with fellow singer Vince Martin. The duo embarked on separate careers following the release of TEAR DOWN THE WALLS. Neil's subsequent solo BLEECKER AND MACDOUGAL was an influential collection and contained the original version of The Other Side Of This Life, later covered by the Youngbloods, Lovin' Spoonful and the Jefferson Airplane. The singer's deep, resonant voice was equally effective, inspiring the languid tones of Tim Buckley and Tim Hardin. A reticent individual, Neil waited two years before completing FRED NEIL, a compulsive selection which featured two of the artist's most famous compositions, The Dolphins and Everybody's Talkin’. The latter was adopted as the theme song to MIDNIGHT COWBOY, a highly-successful film, although it was a version by Harry Nilsson which became the hit single. Such temporary trappings were of little note to Neil, who preferred the anonymity of his secluded Florida base, from where he rarely ventured. An appearance at the Los Angeles club, the Bitter End, provided the material for THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS LIFE, Neil's last album to date and an effective resume of his career. This informal performance also contained other favoured material, including You Don't Miss Your Water, which featured assistance from country singer Gram Parsons. A major, if self-effacing talent, Fred Neil has now withdrawn from music altogether.