Arthel Neville is a well-known journalist, television personality, and weekend anchor for Fox News. She has interviewed many celebrities and covered live entertainment events for various networks. But did you know that she is also part of a musical dynasty? Arthel Neville is the niece of Aaron Neville, a Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter who has had four platinum albums and four Top 10 hits in the United States. In this article, we will explore the relationship between Arthel and Aaron Neville, and how their family has influenced the music industry.
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Arthel Neville’s Early Life and Career
Arthel Neville was born on October 20, 1962, in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is the daughter of Doris Neville and Art Neville, a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, keyboardist, solo artist and founder of the New Orleans music groups The Hawketts, The Meters, and The Neville Brothers. She is also the cousin of singer Ivan Neville.
Arthel Neville grew up in a musical environment, surrounded by her father’s and uncle’s records and performances. She graduated from St. Mary’s Dominican High School in New Orleans and pursued acting and modeling in New York City before returning to her hometown. She enrolled in pre-pharmacy at Xavier University before switching to journalism at Southern Methodist University. She transferred to the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism while also working as a reporter.
She began her career as a general assignment reporter at KVUE-TV in Austin, Texas, covering live breaking news, politics, education, health, and human-interest stories. She was the first female African-American on-air reporter at KVUE-TV. She then moved to New Orleans as a reporter/anchor for WWL-TV and later to Houston as a reporter for KHOU-TV. She returned to New Orleans as an anchor/reporter for WVUE-TV.
In 1991, she landed the host spot on Extreme Close-Up, a one-on-one celebrity interview show that she co-produced for E! Entertainment TV. During three years with the program she logged over 200 interviews with Hollywood stars ranging from Will Smith, Tom Cruise and Sharon Stone, to music icons such as David Bowie, Whitney Houston and Sade. She became the nation’s first high-profile black female entertainment reporter.
In 1994, she beat out over 1,000 hopefuls to launch and anchor Extra for Warner Brothers studios, becoming the first African-American woman to host a nationally syndicated entertainment news magazine program. She remained with Extra until 1996 when the program was revamped.
In 1997, she teamed up with L.A. sportscaster Fred Roggin to host The Arthel & Fred Show, a syndicated daytime entertainment news program that lasted only one season.
A year later, Neville left Los Angeles for New York and became a senior correspondent on the Fox Network’s syndicated news magazine Fox Files, and at Fox News as an anchor, correspondent, host of Celebrity Spotlight, and weekly contributor on The O’Reilly Factor.
Aaron Neville’s Early Life and Career
Aaron Neville was born on January 24, 1941, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the brother of Art Neville (Arthel’s father), Charles Neville (a saxophonist), Cyril Neville (a percussionist), and Athelgra Neville (a singer). He is also the father of singer/keyboards player Ivan Neville (Arthel’s cousin).
Aaron Neville grew up in a musical family that was influenced by gospel, doo-wop, soul, R&B, country, jazz and pop music. He started singing in his church choir and later joined his brothers in various bands such as The Hawketts (which had a hit with “Mardi Gras Mambo” in 1954), The Meters (which backed up many artists such as Dr. John , Robert Palmer , Lee Dorsey , Paul McCartney , LaBelle , Earl King , Allen Toussaint , etc.), and The Neville Brothers (which blended funk , soul , jazz , blues , rock , reggae , Mardi Gras Indian music , etc.).
Aaron Neville’s first solo hit was “Over You” (Minit Records) in 1960. His biggest hit was “Tell It Like It Is” (Par-Lo Records) in 1966 which topped Billboard’s R&B chart for five weeks and reached No.\u202F2 on the Billboard Hot 100 . It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc.
He continued to record solo albums and collaborate with other artists such as Linda Ronstadt (with whom he won two Grammy Awards for their duets “Don’t Know Much” and “All My Life”), Trisha Yearwood , Kenny G , Natalie Cole , Etta James , Chaka Khan , etc.
He also ventured into country music and recorded albums such as The Grand Tour (1993) which featured a cover of George Jones ’ 1974 hit of the same name, and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.
He has also been involved in various social causes such as Hurricane Katrina relief, prison reform, anti-violence campaigns, etc.
The Neville Family Legacy
The Neville family is one of the most influential and respected musical families in America. They have contributed to the rich and diverse musical heritage of New Orleans and beyond. They have won multiple awards and honors, such as Grammy Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, New Orleans Music Hall of Fame, etc.
They have also inspired and mentored many other artists, such as Harry Connick Jr. , Jon Batiste , Trombone Shorty , Galactic , etc.
They have also been featured in various documentaries, books, and films, such as The Big Easy (1987), Make It Funky! (2005), The Heart of New Orleans (2006), I Am the Blues (2010), etc.
They have also performed at various prestigious venues and events, such as the White House , Carnegie Hall , Hollywood Bowl , Jazz Fest , Essence Fest , etc.
They have also been recognized by various institutions and organizations, such as the Smithsonian Institution , the National Endowment for the Arts , the Recording Academy , etc.
Conclusion
Arthel Neville and Aaron Neville are related by blood and by music. They are both part of a musical dynasty that has shaped the sound and culture of New Orleans and beyond. They are both talented and successful in their own fields, but they also share a common bond of family and heritage. They are both proud to be Nevilles.
