Aaron Neville, the legendary New Orleans musician and co-founder of The Neville Brothers, has announced his retirement from touring.
Neville, 80, made the announcement in a heartfelt note posted to Instagram on Thursday. As he explains, “The time has come for me to stop ripping and running on the road. I waited for someone to invent a way to beam me from show to show but no such luck. I love singing for others, it provides so much joy for me, at least as much as for those listening, if not more. Unfortunately, the grueling nature of travel and the schedule needed to make a tour work has become less than desirable.”
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While he will no longer tour, Aaron Neville did leave open the possibility of more new music or live performances in the future. Neville’s last collection of new recorded music came in 2016 with the critically acclaimed Apache. In 2020, he released Love Letters, a collection of recordings he made with Allen Toussaint and Sansu Enterprises from 1969 until the formation of The Neville Brothers in 1977.
Should he decide to pop back up for a show at some point, Neville shouldn’t have trouble finding friends and family to play with. His son, Ivan Neville, currently leads fan-favorite New Orleans outfit Dumpstaphunk, and his contemporaries like George Porter Jr. continue to perform regularly.
Read the full note from Aaron Neville about his retirement from touring below:
I have had such an incredible and blessed journey as a musician, singer and human. The time has come for me to stop ripping and running on the road. I waited for someone to invent a way to beam me from show to show but no such luck. I love singing for others, it provides so much joy for me, at least as much as for those listening, if not more. Unfortunately, the grueling nature of travel and the schedule needed to make a tour work has become less than desirable
The current climate of our world brought me many realizations. Life is short and I’d like to spend my remaining time on earth being less hurried. Don’t see this as a permanent goodbye, by the grace of God, I will keep making more music and may show up at a special event or concert down the road.
Thank you to my band, crew, managers, the talented artists I’ve performed with, my wife and family. Most of all, Thank you yo my fans. Your support has been invaluable and the moments are countless and cherished.
It is my prayer that all the music I’ve recorded over the years will continue to provide enjoyment! May the beat go on…
With love and deep gratitude,
Aaron
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