Monmouth University's Performing Arts Series to Present Aaron Neville

What: Aaron Neville at POLLAK THEATRE - JUST ANNOUNCED

Where: Monmouth University, 400 Cedar Ave., West Long Branch, NJ 07764-1898

When: Saturday, Oct. 7, 2006, 8:00 p.m.

Tickets: Tickets are on sale!

Cost: Contact Box Office for individual and group rates, or buy online at http://www.monmouth.edu/arts.
Box Office: 732-263-6889

West Long Branch, NJ - Monmouth University's Performing Arts Series is proud to present one of the most treasured voices in music of the past five decades, the legendary “Aaron Neville, Live in Concert" at Pollak Theatre on Saturday Oct. 7, 2006, at 8:00PM. Bestowing a matchless spiritual quality with deep musical roots to his native New Orleans, Aaron's angelic falsetto is a signature sound sprung from the Crescent City's first family of rock and funk. Tickets are on sale!

Aaron Neville (b. Jan. 24, 1941, New Orleans, LA) is the third of the four famous Neville Brothers, elders Art and Charles, and the younger Cyril. He has won four Grammy Awards: 1989 Best Pop Duo with Linda Ronstadt for “Don't Know Much"; 1989 Best Pop Instrumental Performance with the Neville Brothers for “Healing Chant"; 1990 Best Pop Duo with Linda Ronstadt for “All My Life"; and Best Country Collaboration with Vocals with Trisha Yearwood for “I Fall to Pieces" in 1994. With over 20 solo albums, his recordings range in genre from gospel to soul to funk to country to jazz, and his harmonic delivery, marked by a startling purity, uplifting grace, and tremulous innocence, has twice earned him “Best Male Singer" in the Rolling Stone critics' poll. He was voted into the Delta Music Museum's Hall of Fame in 2003.

Growing up in the diverse, complex, and historical musical culture of New Orleans, Aaron's vocal development came from brother Art, the keyboardist and founder of the Meters. Having first performed with The Hawkettes, Aaron embarked on a solo career, but despite a minor hit with “Over You" (1960), he remained largely unknown until the release of “Tell It Like It Is" (1966), which went to #1 on the pop charts. The simple, haunting ballad echoed the sentiments of the era's civil rights movement.

In the 1970s, Aaron toiled as a freight handler, ditch digger and steel mill worker. To regain the spotlight, he, Charles and Cyril created The Wild Tchoupitoulas, whose dazzling array of Mardi Gras Indian songs were inspired by their uncle, George Landry (Uncle Jolly), who led a celebrated tribe in the Big Easy's eminent Indian culture. Following the breakup of the Meters, Art joined his brothers to form the Neville Family Band, later named the Neville Brothers, marking the first time all four brothers recorded together. Now, after decades of consistent hit-making, Aaron's solo career has, according to Rolling Stone, “reached a highpoint in a career marked by artistic superlatives."

Following the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Aaron banded together with an all-star collection of recording artists on the album Hurricane Relief: Come Together Now to benefit the Gulf Coast victims. Also, Aaron and EMI Gospel donate a portion of every sale of Aaron Neville Christmas through Dec. 31, 2006 to the American Red Cross.

The entire 2006-07 Performing Arts Series season schedule - subject to additions / changes - may be seen on our website at http://www.monmouth.edu/arts.

Located in West Long Branch, NJ, Monmouth University is a leading comprehensive, private institution that offers coeducational undergraduate and graduate degrees and 50 distinctive curricular programs. The Performing Arts Series includes national and international productions in classical music, children's theatre, music concerts, comedy, dance, arts education, workshops and special attractions.