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"Roots Rock, Blues, Southern Delta Boogie, New Orleans Swamp Funk, call it what you want, it's here, It's the real deal, it's me." - Johnny Neel You realize that all of those labels (and some that haven't been thought of) apply, after listening to the twelve blistering tracks on "Late Night Breakfast", recently recorded digitally at Johnny's own Straight Up Sound Studio with the members of his band, "The Last Word", and special guests such as Shane Theriot (The Neville Brothers), Rick Vito (Fleetwood Mac) and Wayne Jackson (The Memphis Horns). Co-writing half of the twelve songs on the album, Johnny's urgent, pleading vocals underscore his brilliant piano, B-3 and harp work. During the same period of time that these recordings were made, Johnny also became a member of Blue Floyd. The self proclaimed "First band of the 21st Century" began touring in January of 2000. In addition to Johnny, the band is comprised of Marc Ford (Black Crowes), Matt Abts (Gov't Mule), Berry Oakley Jr. (OKB Band) and until his recent and unfortunate demise, Allen Woody (Gov't Mule). Performing blues based variations on the material of Pink Floyd, the group has toured most of the United States, with short excursions into Canada and Mexico. Born and Raised in Wilmington, Delaware, Johnny cut his first single at the age of twelve, as Johnny Neel and The Shapes Of Soul. As an adult, the Johnny Neel Band had a strong following up and down the East Coast and released two well-received independent albums. Writing more and more, but frustrated with virtually no outlet, Johnny moved to Nashville, the premiere song writing city, in 1984. Immediately settling in as an "A" player in studio sessions, he found his own songs being cut by acts such as the late Keith Whitley, Restless Heart, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Forrester Sisters and many others. More recent cuts include those by John Mayall, Ann Peebles and Travis Tritt. Moonlighting, with various bands, in area clubs drew the attention of former Nashville resident Dickie Betts, who asked Johnny to join his road band, and begin work on Dickie's solo LP for Epic Records. That relationship led to seven cuts on the "Pattern Disruptive" LP including the Top 10 AOR hit, "Rock Bottom." Johnny's stellar keyboard and harp playing on that album caused Gregg Allman to "borrow" Johnny, when available, for his own touring road band. All of the aforementioned naturally led to Johnny joining the eventually reunited Allman Brothers Band. A massively successful tour followed, culminating in a number one AOR smash hit during the summer of 1990. Car radios all across America blasted "Good Clean Fun", co-written by Johnny with Gregg and Dickie, to the top of the charts, and provided the reunited Allmans with their highest charting single since "Ramblin' Man" fifteen years earlier. Johnny was also Grammy nominated for his keyboard work as an Allman Brothers Band member on the instrumental cut, 'True Gravity" from the "Seven Turns" LP. A man with boundless energy, Johnny still manages to juggle studio work, local club gigs, road work and hit song writing, and somehow maintains his sanity. referring to his hectic life, Johnny says, " They say you can't do it all; Hell, I'm trying to prove 'em wrong!"
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