Kenny Neal

Kenny Neal is an American blues guitarist, singer, and performer born on October 14, 1957, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The son of harmonica player Raful Neal, he grew up in a musical family and has frequently performed alongside his brothers. His musical foundation was shaped by formative exposure to Slim Harpo, Buddy Guy, and his father, grounding him in the blues tradition of south Louisiana.

Neal launched his recording career in 1987 when he cut his debut album with Florida record producer Bob Greenlee, originally released on King Snake Records under the title Bio on the Bayou. Alligator Records subsequently acquired the album and reissued it as Big News from Baton Rouge!! Neal has performed alongside blues artists including Lucky Peterson and Lazy Lester, and spent a period living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, during which he was a member of The Downchild Blues Band.

In 1991, Neal made his Broadway debut in Mule Bone, a folk musical written by Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, featuring songs composed by Taj Mahal. His performance earned him a Theatre World Award that same year, with the honor later formally cited as recognizing outstanding new talent on Broadway.

Neal's recording work continued to draw recognition across multiple decades. His 2016 album Bloodline, recorded in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Baton Rouge and co-produced with Tom Hambridge, received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Among his many honors, Neal was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2011 and into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2026. He received a Blues Music Award for Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year in 2019, and earned multiple Blues Music Awards in 2009, including Song of the Year for "Let Life Flow." In September 2006, Neal announced a hiatus from recording and performing due to an undisclosed illness, returning to the stage at the Monterey Blues Festival in June 2007.